Tainted
by TassanaBurrfoot
Summary: Kagome gets kidnapped! What's going to happen to her now? Rated M for a reason.
1. Prologue

"Are you sure this will work?" asked the man as he crouched in the bushes.

His companion nodded. "He won't know what hit him."

The first man chuckled as he glanced at the well. His eyes narrowed as he waited.

A third man sighed. "Are you sure she's even going to come?" he whined, his voice a bit too high pitched for a man. "And why do we need her anyway? Women are such nuisances."

The first man growled, "I already told you. That mutt's gonna pay for what he did to our comrades… She'll come."

Though, he wasn't sure exactly how. He knew she lived in the village just beyond the well and had been hiding in the village, gathering what information he could from the villagers. Apparently, she constantly disappeared in the well, but always reappeared mere days later. He still thought he should get rid of that pesky priestess that lived in the village as well, but he knew if he did all hell would break loose. He wanted a quick, clean, and quiet getaway.

He was lucky, really. The girl's demon slayer and monk friends had returned to the demon slayer's village and the mutt was currently visiting with that dead priestess. The little fox demon had stayed behind, but was helping the older priestess with chores at the moment.

The second man growled impatiently. "How much longer must we wait?"

The first man rolled his eyes and waved a hand to hush his companions. That's when he heard the sounds coming from the well. He placed his finger to his lips and looked at his companions briefly before turning his full attention to the well.

A large yellow bag was the first thing to emerge from the well. The man heard his feminine companion gasp. The man smirked as he watched another odd object appear from the well. This one had wheels. He tilted his head slightly as his interest peaked, but then the girl appeared. She seemed quite out of breath.

"Ooooh!" she growled. "Where is Inuyasha when I need him?"

She sat on the edge of the well and yanked the odd wheeled contraption out of the well. Her movement caused her to fall and crash onto the ground. Her breath was released in a loud "Oh!" and she moaned as she rubbed her rump.

The first man nodded at the second man and pointed at the girl. The second man nodded and quickly moved away, closer to her position.

Kagome looked up at she heard a rustling in the bushes. "Who's there?" she shouted. "I'm warning you!"

She grabbed her bow and an arrow and glared at the bushes. Suddenly, a small dog ran out from them. Kagome lowered her bow as the little black and white dog trotted over to her, wagging its tail. "Huh," she whispered as she bent down to the dog. "Where did you come from?"

The dog licked her hand and she petted it. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen any dogs in the Feudal Era. Well, except for Inuyasha, of course. It was a scrawny little creature with ears that were half up and half down. It had a bushy tail and was about the same size as a border collie. In fact, now that Kagome thought about it, the dog looked a lot like a border collie. But that breed didn't exist in Japan yet. (That breed didn't exist yet at all, if her thinking was correct.)

The dog lay down and rolled on its back, as though hoping for a belly rub. Kagome giggled as she obliged. She knew her friends were probably waiting for her. No doubt, Inuyasha had already picked up on her scent and was on his way to meet her.

She sighed as she stood up and went to her backpack. The dog stood as well, with every intention of following her. Kagome smiled at the dog as she lifted the heavy pack and placed it on her shoulders.

Two barks was all the warning she was given as Kagome suddenly felt herself slip into unconsciousness. What's happening? She thought and then her mind went blank.


	2. Chapter 1

Kagome slowly opened her eyes and moaned. Her head felt like someone had hit her with a ton of bricks. As she went to rub said head, she realized that she couldn't.

Her eyes shot opened. Looking around, she saw that she was in some sort of dungeon. The walls were bare stone save a single empty torch holder next to the door. The heavy stone door sat directly across from her and had a barred window at eye level. Her arms and legs were bound to the wall and floor with manacles. Her bicycle was propped up against one corner of the room while her bag sat in front of it.

_Where am I?_ she thought desperately. _Inuyasha!_

She heard the rattling of the lock on the door and the heavy door swung open. "Ah, you're awake," commented a voice she knew only too well.

A dark figure entered the room. He was shrouded in the shadows afforded him from the lack of light. Kagome heard the strike of flint against steel and her eyes scrunched up as the fire of a torch lit up the small room.

Her fears were realized as the glow of the torch revealed a man with a long black braid and tanned skin. He wore a white hakama and haori with blue accents. His armor covered his chest and his right shoulder. She gasped as his dark eyes met hers.

He smiled. "Well, hello there, Kagome," he greeted. "Bet'cha wondering why I brought you here, huh? And to give you such fine accommodations, too."

She frowned. "Bankotsu," she hissed. "What do you want with me? Inuyasha will have your head for certain!"

The leader of the Band of Seven barked a laugh. When he approached her, his face was set in a dangerous seriousness that made Kagome want to cower in fear. He ran a finger gently along her jaw line. When his finger got to her chin, he roughly grabbed her jaw, effectively shutting her mouth and forcing her to look at him.

He smirked. "You're smart to fear me, Kagome," he told her. "Life is going to be pretty uneasy for you the next few days or so."

"I'm not afraid of you!" she snarled as she jerked her face out of his hand and spat in his face.

His eyes narrowed as he lifted his hand, the same hand he had held Kagome's face with, to his face and wiped the spittle off of his face. He slapped her across the face, causing her head to snap to the side and roughly into the stone wall. He grabbed her jaw again.

"Listen, bitch!" he sneered. "You will do well to not do that again. Your life here can become very unpleasant."

She could see in his eyes that he meant every word. He released her face and turned around to look at the opened door. Kagome panted. She could already feel the heat on her cheek where he had hit her and knew her cheek was turning red. She was certain his fingers were going to leave bruises along her jaw line. "What do you want?" she repeated.

He turned back to her. "Oh, my desires are simple enough," he told her. "By now, your friends are probably worried about you. That mutt has no doubt gone to search for you, but he won't find you."

Her eyes narrowed. "He'll sniff me out," she said, assuredly.

He smirked. "I wouldn't bet on it," he commented. "That gas Renkotsu used was one of Mukotsu's favourites. It has the ability to remove any traces of scent anywhere. He won't even be able to smell that we were ever there, much less you. In fact, the only scent he'll catch of yours will be old and from days ago."

Inuyasha wasn't coming? That thought was impossible and Kagome refused to dwell on it. "He'll find me," she said. "He always finds me."

Bankotsu was really quick as he pressed her body against the wall. She could smell the rancid odor of graveyard soil and death on him. "He won't," he whispered dangerously. "At least, not until I allow it."

She tried to hold her breath and he pressed himself more fully against her and moved his lips against her ear. "I'm going to make him suffer," Bankotsu breathed against her ear. "He will fall into despair as he realizes that the girl he loves is gone forever."

He leaned back a little and threw his head back in malicious laughter. He brought his head back and stared at her. "Not even that puny wolf will be able to find you," he said. "And in the meantime, I'm going to have quite a bit of fun with you."

She stared at him in confusion before she realized that his hand had traveled to her thigh. Her eyes widened in horror and she fought against her restraints. "No! Don't touch me, you evil pervert! You will not…"

"Oh, but I will," he assured her as he grabbed her jaw with his other hand. "I will and you will learn to love it. In fact, you're going to love it so much that, by the time I'm through, you'll be begging for it. And nothing that mutt or anyone else does will be as satisfying to you."

His hand trailed up her thigh to her hip as she continued to fight against him. "I really do like this kimono you wear, Kagome," he commented. "Makes this whole process so much easier."

He forced his leg between hers. Tears streamed from her eyes. "Please. Don't," she whimpered.

He chuckled before coming to an abrupt halt. "What's this?" he asked as he glanced down at the skirt.

He lifted the skirt up so that he could see the thin layer of fabric that covered her womanhood. Hooking a finger under the fabric, he pulled on it to test its "give factor." He raised an eyebrow. "Interesting," he whispered.

**Author's Note: Content edited for graphics. You can find the full version on Adult Fanfiction.**

Though she knew it hadn't lasted long, Kagome felt as if the rape had lasted an eternity. Tears streamed down her cheeks. The worst part? Just when she thought he was done, when he had pulled out of her, he had slammed back into her. Her throat was raw from the amount of screaming she had done and, when she couldn't scream anymore, her voice cracked and croaked as she begged for him to stop.

When he finally did stop, a fresh batch of tears fell down her cheeks. He was panting as he cupped her jaw and forced her to look at him. She did not know when he had abandoned his clothing, but, seeing his naked torso, she assumed he must have. Her eyes made contact with his and narrowed in disgust. He just smirked at her.

"Get used to this, Kagome," he told her as he roughly kissed her lips.

He broke the kiss and patted her cheek. "We'll be doing this a lot," he assured her. "In fact, it'll be so much, that you'll learn to enjoy it."

She spat on the ground. "I'll never enjoy this," she hissed. "It doesn't matter anyway because Inuyasha is going to save me."

He raised an eyebrow. "Sure, he might try," he agreed. "But then he'll smell you."

There was a pause as he dressed. "Face it, Kagome," he said as he took the torch out of its holder. "He's not going to want you now that you're tainted."

* * *

Kagome whimpered as she heard the rattle of the lock. Her eyes widened in fear at what she expected to come. A small gasp escaped her lips as the door opened to reveal not Bankotsu, but Jakotsu. He was carrying a basin in one hand and a lit torch in the other.

He placed the lit torch in the holder before he approached her. "Big brother wants you cleaned up," he told her.

As he surveyed her body, he laughed. "Big brother was right," he chuckled. "You did bleed like a pig."

He pulled a rag out of the basin and made a move to clean her leg. When she squirmed, he grabbed her leg roughly. "Hold still so I can clean ya, wench!" he growled.

She glared at him. "What do you intend to do to me?"

He rolled his eyes. "I _intend_ to clean you," he sneered.

She shook her head. "I mean," she asked, "what does Bankotsu intend to do to me? Why did you kidnap me?"

He glanced up at her as if she had grown a second head. "Isn't it obvious?" he questioned as he ran the rag down her leg, cleaning off the blood. "I'll never understand why any man would take an interest in women. But he likes his women, for some reason."

"He said he was going to get back at Inuyasha," she whispered.

He nodded. "Yeah, that, too."

He continued to clean her legs. "He'll be back later," he told her as he stood up and went to the door. "Want some advice? Don't fight him so much and you might actually enjoy it... Then again, he likes it when you fight."

Jakotsu smirked as he closed the door and locked it. Kagome was shrouded in darkness again. As her mind went over what the murderer had said, her heart slowly drifted into despair. Where was Inuyasha?


	3. Chapter 2

Inuyasha stared at the well in confusion. Kagome's scent had surrounded the other side of the well. Her mother had assured him that she came back here. But as Inuyasha sniffed around, he could find no trace of Kagome. Actually, there wasn't a trace of anyone at all. It was almost as if the well had been deserted for days. The bit of Kagome's scent that Inuyasha did pick up on was old and led to the village, but no one had seen her.

Shippo was perched on Inuyasha's shoulder. "You think someone kidnapped her?" the little fox asked.

Inuyasha shrugged. "It seems that way, but I can't find her scent."

"It has to be Naraku," Sango said for the second time. "He's the only one that makes sense."

Miroku nodded in agreement. "He's kidnapped her before, so I wouldn't be surprised if he did it again," he offered.

The hanyou sighed. He knew his friends were right, but… where was Naraku's scent?

The monk placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "We'll look for Naraku. I'm sure when we find him, we'll find Kagome," he assured his friend.

Still uneasy, Inuyasha agreed and the friends headed off to search for the demon and the priestess.

* * *

Kagome didn't know how long she had been in the dungeon now. Her arms ached and felt almost lifeless and she desperately wanted to sit down. Or lay down. Lying down sounded nice. Plus, she really needed to use the restroom.

She looked up as she heard the lock jingle. The door opened and Bankotsu entered the room. He placed his torch in the holder and picked up the plate of food he had placed on a table outside the door. Her stomach growled in response.

He smirked. "Figured you might be a bit hungry," he commented as he approached her.

She glanced up at him tiredly. For a moment, she wondered if he was planning on taking the manacles off of her. _No such luck_, she thought as he took a bit of bread and held it to her mouth. He planned on feeding her!

"I have to…"

"Eat," he ordered as he shoved the bread in her mouth.

She choked on the bread as she tried to chew a piece of it off. To her surprise, he was trying to help her break off the piece. She finally managed to tear the bread and closed her mouth to chew the bit of food she had.

She swallowed the bread, but when she opened her mouth to speak, he shoved more bread into her mouth. She was hungry, so she didn't protest. However, she figured she'd be smart. Once the bread was in her mouth, she decided to try talking with her mouth full.

"I nee' t' pee," she said, hoping he understood her.

He smirked. "So, go ahead," he told her.

Her eyes widened and she spit out the food. "What?!"

His eyes followed the lump of chewed bread and he stared at it. "You're going to regret that," he said as he continued to stare at the food on the ground.

He walked to the door and pulled the table into the room. After he placed the food upon the table, he turned to the lump of bread. Picking it up, he turned back to the priestess. Her eyes widened when she saw what he intended to do. She snapped her mouth shut.

His eyes narrowed as he grabbed her jaw and forced it open. He shoved the lump of bread back into her mouth and placed his hand over her mouth. "Chew it and swallow it," he sneered.

She could taste the dirt and grime that had covered the piece of bread. She tried to fight him off by shaking her head. He pressed his body against hers and grabbed her throat with his free hand. "Eat it!" he barked.

Tears fell from her eyes as she quickly swallowed the lump. It was thick and it hurt going down her throat. He released her and she panted. He turned around to retrieve the plate of food.

"You really expect me to go to the bathroom right here?" she asked before he could approach her with the food again.

He raised an eyebrow as he picked up the rest of the bread and shoved it at her mouth. She took the bread with no argument and tore off a bit with her teeth. "Where else are you going to go?" he asked her, his head tilted. "You're not leaving this dungeon any time soon."

"Wha abou my whis?" she asked through another full mouth.

He shrugged. "What about them?"

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Dey hur!"

He glanced up at her manacled wrists and a thoughtful look passed over his face. His face lit up as an evil smirk spread across it. He turned his attention back to her. "Well, I suppose that all depends," he told her as he placed the bread back on the plate and held a flask to her lips.

She stopped from shaking her head before accepting his offer. "On what?" she coughed when she finished drinking.

He placed the plate and flask back on the table. "On how loud you scream," he answered as he pressed his body against her.

She felt his fingers as they dug into her and her eyes widened.

* * *

Kagome watched as the men removed her bicycle and backpack from the room. Renkotsu entered the room, sneered at the priestess, and took the table. Glancing up, he saw the sconce and looked at Bankotsu.

The leader shrugged. "It's not like she can rip it out of the wall," he said.

Renkotsu nodded. "I understand that, Big Brother, but she could always take the torch out of it and try to burn you."

Kagome hadn't even thought about that and watched in dismay as Bankotsu agreed and began ripping the sconce out of the wall. "What about light?" she asked.

The leader shrugged. "We'll mount a bracket right outside the door and put a torch there. That way, you can see, but not do anything stupid," he told her.

Renkotsu knew that his leader was using double speak to also order it to be done and the man nodded. Bankotsu released the sconce and approached Kagome while Renkotsu began tearing at the sconce himself.

Grabbing the back of Kagome's head, Bankotsu jerked so that she was looking up at him. "Just remember, Kagome," he warned her. "I'm giving you freedom because you pleased me tonight. Continue to please me and you'll gain more freedoms. Disappoint or disobey me and I will take them away. What I'm doing for you is a privilege, not a right."

He released her and she nodded. "I understand," she whispered. "Thank you, Bankotsu."

* * *

Miroku stoked the fire with a stick. "You should try and get some sleep, Inuyasha," he suggested.

The hanyou growled. "How can you expect me to sleep when Kagome's somewhere out there? Who knows what Naraku has done to her?"

The monk sighed. He knew Inuyasha was right, but he hated to admit it. There was no telling what the monster could have done to her. He glanced over to where Sango was sleeping and saw that she, too, stirred restlessly.

Finally fed up with trying to sleep, the demon slayer sat up. "I can't sleep," she announced unnecessarily.

Miroku sighed again as he found he couldn't argue with either of them. The only reason he was playing with the fire was because sleep was evading him as well.

Shippo, the only one of the group who had managed to fall asleep, kicked at the air before sitting up and screaming Kagome's name. The little fox searched frantically around the campsite before he remembered that the priestess wasn't there. He glanced at the three adults before crawling into Sango's lap and burying his head in her chest.

Sango did her best to comfort the crying child.

* * *

Kagome glanced around the empty room as Bankotsu unlatched the shackles. Her arms dropped to her sides uselessly as she fell to the floor. She felt the blood rush back to her aching muscles and groaned.

"Don't make me regret this," Bankotsu told her as he tucked the key back into his obi.

She nodded as she glanced about the small space. He had even given her a pallet, pillow, and blanket, as well as a bucket for her business.

Before she could say anything, Bankotsu pushed Kagome onto the pallet. She gasped as he hovered over her.

"Fight me and I take it away," he warned.

She trembled, but nodded. Tears rolled down her eyes as he pressed his body against hers. The key was in his obi. If she could somehow grab it, then she had a chance of escape. Knowing she would need to play it up, she gave him an anxious smile as she lay down on the pallet.

Her willingness made him smirk. _She's finally accepting me_, he thought to himself as he pressed his body more firmly against her.

She gently caressed his cheek with one hand while her other hand rubbed across his chest. She knew she only had seconds. As he straddled her, intent on her breasts, she brought her knee up good and hard. He fell off of her in pain as she grabbed the key from his obi and made a dash to the door.

He grabbed her by the ankle. She fell face first, hard onto the ground as he quickly moved atop her and grabbed the hand that held the key.

"No!" she shouted uselessly as he took the key from her by force.

Then he stood up and grabbed her by the hair. "I warned you," he growled as he threw her against the wall.

She hit the wall with a loud thud and crumpled to the floor, unconscious.


	4. Chapter 3

Kagome moaned as she clutched her head in pain. As she felt herself drifting back to sleep, someone grabbed her hair roughly and pulled her to a standing position. She screamed in pain as her eyes shot open.

She stared at Bankotsu with wide-eyed fear. The man's cobalt eyes glared at her in anger and hatred. "You really are something, bitch," he growled. "I warned you about fighting me. Now you'll regret it."

She was already regretting it, but that didn't stop her from gasping as he tore her skirt off of her. He grabbed the neckline of her blouse and tore it away as well. "Now, take this shit off," he snarled, throwing her to the ground.

She glanced up at him. "You have new clothes for me?"

He spat, "Bitches like you don't deserve clothes. Take them off!"

She gasped. "You don't expect me to just walk around naked, do you?" she asked in surprise.

"I expect you to follow my orders," he sneered. "And if you don't do it now, I will beat the shit out of you."

She whimpered as she glanced around her. They were still in the dungeon. She could see a spot of blood on the wall that she assumed at been hers when he had first raped her. Loose straw and dirt covered the floor.

"Do it!" he demanded impatiently.

She knew that if she didn't listen to him, he would more than likely go through with his threat. As carefully as she could, she peeled the ruined blouse from her aching body.

"What the fuck is that?" he growled, pointing at the flimsy material that covered her breasts.

She closed her eyes and bowed her head. "My bra," she mumbled.

"Take it off," he ordered and as she obeyed, she felt tears streaming down her face.

He grabbed the tattered clothes and threw them out of the dungeon cell. He grabbed her hair and threw her onto the pallet before joining her. "If you fight me, I'll beat you," he growled before his cock dove into her.

She cried out in pain as he ravaged her. She grabbed his arms and squeezed on his biceps as she fought back the mounting tension. "No!" she shouted as he came into her.

As he pulled out of her, the rest of his seed spilled onto the pallet. He was panting as he collapsed atop her. Suddenly, he sat up and pulled his haori off. The look in his eyes told her he was ready to go again.

Kagome shivered.

* * *

Inuyasha growled as he followed his small group into yet another village. "We don't have time to waste with this shit," he snarled.

Sango placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and he looked away. "These villagers may give us a clue to Naraku's whereabouts," she told him. "We aren't going to stay the night or anything."

"Good," he snapped. "It's been five days since Kagome's been missing and I'm getting sick of not knowing where she is. If Naraku's got her, I'll kill him."

"Don't you find it odd?" Shippo piped up. "You'd think Naraku would have come to us by now, at least to gloat."

Miroku nodded. "You're right, Shippo," he agreed. "Do you have any ideas?"

The fox held up his hands. "What're you asking me for? I'm just a kid," he said in self-defense.

"Lord monk," called out a man from the village. "What brings you to our village?"

Miroku turned to the man in question. He was an older gent, maybe in his late 30s, early 40s. It was obvious he was the headman of the village. "We have been searching for anyone or anything strange passing through lately," he told the man. "Perhaps someone was carrying a girl wearing odd clothes?"

The headman scratched his head as he thought about it. "No, haven't seen any strange girls around here," he answered. "Would you and your companions care for a place to stay the night?"

Miroku bowed to the man. "We are humbly thankful for your generous offer," he replied. "I'm afraid we must decline, however. If we do not find this maiden soon, we fear her life may be in grave danger."

The headman gave the monk a sad smile. "Good luck, lord monk," he said. "I hope you find her."

Miroku nodded as the group began walking away from the village. "We hope so, too."

* * *

Kagome sat on the pallet and sighed. She didn't know how much time had passed, though she had begun trying to calculate the days according to when Bankotsu brought her food. It didn't help much as there didn't seem to be a pattern that she could make out.

Boredom didn't seem to be much of an issue, either. Sure, she would go hours without seeing Bankotsu, but when he was with her, the sex was so constant. By the time he finished with her, she was so tired and grateful when he left.

She thought about her friends and wondered what they were doing. No matter what Bankotsu told her, she refused to believe that they weren't out looking for her. She also refused to think that Inuyasha didn't care about her. She shook her head over the lies Bankotsu spouted about her friends.

She assumed some time had passed, for he had given her some clothes to wear. They weren't much, sure. Just a yukata that he claimed Jakotsu had pried off a dead woman. Kagome had no doubt it was true, but it helped her wear it when she believed that he had really gotten it from a sales clerk.

Kagome sighed as she rested her head on her knees. She missed her friends and family terribly. She wondered if Inuyasha had told her mother of her disappearance and desperately hoped he hadn't. She didn't want her mother to worry.

Her mind wandered over to Bankotsu. She still didn't fully understand why he was doing this to her. Wouldn't he have been better off just killing her and bringing Inuyasha her head or something? Kagome gasped as she grabbed at her throat.

_Oh, god. I can't believe I just thought that!_

She hoped that wasn't his plan in the end. As evil as he was, she just did not want to believe that he would do something like that to her. Especially after everything she had done for him.

Over the last few days, or was it weeks? She had begun to pretend to give in and allow his ministrations to "pleasure" her. She had decided that if she wanted to get out of this alive, she needed to at least _pretend_ she was enjoying him. Fighting him off just was not working.

Her plan had worked. Not only had she been given a yukata, but the food selection had become much better, too. He even brought her extra blankets when it was particularly cold. Her bucket was changed regularly, and well, all in all, her living conditions were improving. Well, as much as they could improve, given the circumstances.

The rattling of the lock signaled that Bankotsu was about to enter her cell. Kagome straightened up and waited for him. As he entered the cell, she noticed he was holding a book in his hands.

"I have a surprise for you, Kagome," he told her.

Her eyes widened as he threw the book. It landed on the pallet in front of her. She immediately recognized the book as one of her school books. More pointedly, her history book.

Bankotsu placed his hands on his hips. "Mind explaining to me what that is?" he asked, though she could tell it was more of an order than anything else.

She stared at the book a moment longer, trying to think of an explanation. She was a miko, so… That's it!

"It's a training book," she explained simply, looking up at him. That much was true.

His eyes narrowed as he sat beside her. "A training book?" he repeated. "Can you even read it?"

Her eyes widened indignantly. "Of course, I can read it!"

He nodded as he lifted a hand to scratch his chin thoughtfully. "Then you'd know that I would know that you are lying," he pointed out as he picked up the book. He flipped through it. "I've read this 'training book.' It speaks of things that haven't happened yet as well as things that have happened in the past. At first, I thought it was some sort of history book until I read the bit about some man walking on the moon. That's not possible, so it must be a story book, but to what purpose?"

What was she going to say? She couldn't lie to him, because he would know. At the same time, she couldn't exactly tell him the truth. A thought occurred to her as she asked, "You've been through my backpack, I assume?"

He glazed at her curiously. "Is that what you call that strange yellow contraption?"

She nodded. "If you empty it of my weapons, I can show you what the different things are and maybe explain to you more about that book," she offered. "I can't promise to tell you everything, but I can tell you something."

He gave her a single nod before he shouted, "Renkotsu! Bring that yellow bag we were looking through earlier. Take out her arrows and that knife we found, though."

"Hai," the bald man said from the other side of the door.

"Would you mind answering a question I have before Renkotsu returns?" she asked as they waited.

He glanced at her suspiciously. "Depends. What is it you want to know?"

She took a deep breath and chose her words carefully, "Last thing I remember before waking up in this dungeon was a dog I was petting near the Bone-Eater's Well. Did you happen upon me or were you waiting for me?"

He smirked. "Which do you think?"

She sighed. "I'd rather hear the answer from you," she said honestly. "I'm tired of all these guessing games."

He ran a finger along her arm. "We knew you were coming from the well, so we waited."

She gasped. "You… knew I was… coming _to_ the well?" she tried.

He chuckled. "You're actually kinda cute when you're nervous," he told her, unexpectedly. He pressed his lips to her ear. "We knew you were coming _out of_ the well."

She sighed, but did not dare to pull away from him as he began to nibble her earlobe. "So, you know I disappear into the well," she surmised.

He nodded as he moved his body into a more comfortable position. His lips moved to her neck. She hated the feel of his kisses. She hated it when he lifted his hand, gently slipped it into her yukata, and softly caressed her breast. She hated it when…

"Big brother?" Renkotsu interrupted.

Bankotsu broke away from her and went to the door. He opened the door just enough so he could take the bag from Renkotsu. "Thanks," the younger man said.

Kagome waited patiently on the pallet as Bankotsu rejoined her. He placed the heavy bag in front of them and looked at her expectantly. "Well?"

She took a deep breath and pulled her yellow bag towards her. She opened the bag and began taking things out of it: her school books, flashlight, batteries, medical supplies, shampoo, body wash, toothbrush and toothpaste, clothes, notebooks, a pen, and a pencil.

She purposely left her feminine hygiene products, aka her pads, in the bag. She really didn't want to have to explain that to him.

She ran a hand lightly over the books. "I don't know how much of these you've read, if anything, but the dates are all accurate," she told him. "Including the dates in my history book."

His brows furrowed. "Accurate how?"

She took another deep breath and closed her eyes as she answered him, "I'm from the future."


	5. Chapter 4

Inuyasha pulled his sword from its scabbard and pointed it at the wolf.

"Where's Kagome?" the wolf demanded.

Miroku shook his head as Shippo jumped off of his shoulder and ran to the wolf. "We think Naraku kidnapped her," the fox told him.

Koga glanced at the little kit before glaring at Inuyasha. "What does he mean you _think_? You mean, you don't _know_?"

Sango placed herself between the wolf and hanyou, despite Inuyasha's protest. She knew her friend would be very upset if they came to blows. "We were taking a break," she explained to the wolf. "She was supposed to return to the village, but she never did. When Inuyasha went to retrieve her, he was informed that she was gone."

Koga's face hardened in anger as he pointed an accusing finger at Inuyasha. "I trusted you to protect her, you insolent pup! And you failed! If something happens to Kagome, I swear, your head will be mine!"

"Just who the hell do you think you're talking to?" the hanyou snarled. "I'll find Kagome. And I'll defeat Naraku."

"Stay out of this, mutt!" Koga snapped, slicing at the air with his hand. "You had your chance and you failed. _I'll_ be the one to find her. She belongs with me anyway. I never should have trusted you. Never!"

The wolf turned to leave, but Miroku stopped him. "Koga!" the monk shouted. "There are no traces of her. Inuyasha hasn't even been able to pick up her scent. When Sango said she was gone, she meant, Kagome vanished."

Determination was written across Koga's face as he balled up his fists at his sides. "I'll find her," he repeated, completely sure of himself.

With that vow, the wolf ran away in a whirl of wind. Sango watched as the cloud disappeared. "Do you think he'll find her?" she asked the monk.

Miroku sighed. "It doesn't hurt to have him look for her as well," he said, honestly.

As Inuyasha sheathed his sword, he pushed past them. "If I can't pick up her scent, there's no way he will. We should just press on. We don't need that scrawny fleabag."

The monk and demon slayer shared a look as they continued to follow their friend. Shippo stared at the ground sadly_. I hope one of us finds her and soon._

* * *

Bankotsu shook his head. "The future, huh?" he commented.

She glanced up at him. She could tell he didn't really believe her, but she nodded anyway. "I know it's a hard concept to grasp, but it's the truth," she told him.

He raised an eyebrow. "So, what happens to Naraku and your precious mutt?" he questioned.

She looked at him curiously. "What?"

He leaned against the wall. "You heard me," he said, lazily as he examined his fingernails. "If you're from the future like you say, then you know what happens to them, don't cha?"

She shook her head as she thought about his words. To be honest, she hadn't really given much thought to it. "I assume Naraku is defeated in the end," she answered after a moment. "As for Inuyasha… I honestly don't know."

He glanced up at her. "How far into the future are we talking about here?"

"Five hundred years," she whispered.

He dropped his hands and stared at her in shock. His eyes searched her face and she knew he was looking for any sign of dishonesty. She just returned his gaze. There was no point in her lying to him.

His eyes narrowed. "Alright, future girl, I'll buy it… for now," he said. He waved a hand over the stuff. "So, what's all of this?"

She touched her clothes. "These are the things girls in the future wear," she said, simply. "There's not much explanation there, I suppose. Our undergarments are small and meant to just cover our more private areas.

"These books are called textbooks," she explained as she touched her mathematics book. "They are, as I said before, training books. They help to teach us the things we will need to know later on in life."

Bankotsu picked up the mathematics book. "Why would a woman need to know math?" he questioned.

Kagome took a calming breath before she answered. "Women in my time are treated as equals to men," she told him. He threw her a dubious look, but she was firm in her statement. "All people, both men and women, rich and poor, are educated in reading, writing, and arithmetic. We are taught, not only the history of our own culture, but the histories of the other cultures in the world. We are taught how the world works and how life is formed."

He raised an eyebrow. "Peasants are taught how to read and write?"

She nodded. "Though, we don't call the poor 'peasants' anymore. They are simply… poor. Education in my time is free and easily available for anyone wishing to learn," she told him.

She picked up the bottle of antiseptic. "We also have more advanced methods of healing ourselves," she told him. "For instance, this stuff. If you have a cut, you rub this ointment on it and the cut will heal faster and not become infected."

She put it back and grabbed the bottle of aspirin. "If you have a headache, you swallow two of these little pills and they will take the headache away," she said.

He took the bottle from her and examined it. "And you can make these medicines?" Bankotsu asked.

She laughed as she shook her head. "_I_ can't, but we have chemists who can," she replied.

"What's a chemist?"

Kagome thought about it for a moment. "Well," she began, before hesitating. "I guess they're a bit like alchemists or herbalists. They mix various ingredients to see if they can make something that will help our kind."

His eyebrows furrowed, but he nodded. She picked up one of the notebooks and the pen. "I think this is something you might find really useful," she told him as she handed him the items. "These will replace scrolls and brushes in the years to come."

Bankotsu put the pill bottle down and took the notebook and pen. "How?"

She smiled. "They are called a notebook and pen," she explained as she pointed to the respective items. "See the little silvery thing on the end of the pen? Press down on it… Now, use the other end and write something on the notebook."

He gave her another dubious look before trying what she asked. He tilted his head to the side as he saw his writing travel along the page. It was just like he was using a brush and ink!

While he wrote, Kagome picked up the flashlight and clicked it on. He gave a shout and dropped the items. "What the hell is that?" Bankotsu snapped as he blinked.

"It's called a flashlight," she told him. "Think of it as a fireless torch."

He grabbed the flashlight from her so he could study it. He touched the area where the light came from. "It's brighter than a torch," he commented. "And it's not as hot."

Kagome nodded. "It also lasts a lot longer than a torch," she told him as she grabbed the package of batteries. "It lasts even longer if you have these batteries for it."

They spent the next few hours going over the various items. He asked her a ton of questions and she answered them the best she could. Every now and then, she stole a glance at her hygiene products. It had been forever since she had bathed or brushed her teeth and she desperately wanted to do both. She sighed longingly.

Bankotsu looked up from the literature book he was reading. He caught her gazing at the bottles that she hadn't explained yet and moved to grab one of them. "What is this?" he asked.

Kagome stared at the bottle in his hand. "It's a bottle of shampoo," she told him. "It's soap for your hair, but in a more liquidity form."

He nodded and gestured at the other bottles. "And those?"

She picked up one of the bottles. "This is called body wash," she explained. "It's like the shampoo, but meant for your body."

She pointed to the toothbrush and toothpaste and explained what they did as well. His eyes followed her movements and gestures, but did not really venture for long from her face. He was watching her every expression as she spoke about the items.

"You wish to bathe, don't you?" he surmised.

Kagome nodded as she bowed her head. She stared at the bottle of body wash in her hands. "In my time, it's customary for a person to bathe every day," she told him. "Some people bathe every other day, some once a week. Before I came to this era, I bathed every day."

Bankotsu nodded, put the shampoo bottle on the floor and stood up. "Tell you what," he said. "You pleasure me well and I'll take you to the hot spring to bathe."

She glanced up at him. "Pleasure you?"

He smirked. "Take my cock out and pleasure me," he instructed. "Use your hands and your mouth and make me cum."

* * *

"Now, that wasn't so bad, was it?" he commented as he tucked his penis back into his hakama.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her up to a standing position. Pushing her sweaty hair out of her face with his fingers, Bankotsu smirked at her. "You did pretty good for your first time," he praised. "And for being such a good girl, I'm going to go grab a pair of shackles and take you to that hot spring. How does that sound?"

Kagome nodded as a fresh wave of tears flowed down her cheeks. Bankotsu gave her a pout. "Aw, now, don't be sad, Kagome. This is a good thing. You're being rewarded for doing something good. You should be proud of yourself."

She did not want to look into his soulless eyes, so she bowed her head and stared at the floor. He released her arm and began picking up her stuff and putting it back in the bag. She allowed herself to fall into a sitting position on the floor. Her legs were tucked under her body and her hands were in her lap. She continued to stare at the floor as she heard him move about the cell.

"I'll be back with a pair of shackles," he told her as she heard him open the door. "You better be in a happier mood when I come back, or we might have to wait on that hot spring."

She waited as she heard the sound of the lock moving into place and his footsteps disappearing down the corridor. When she was certain he was gone, she fell the rest of the way to the floor and sobbed.

_Where was Inuyasha?_

* * *

__**Author's Note:** Story was edited for content. If you wish to read the full version, please visit the story on AFF. It should be easy enough to find. (It's the first story in the Het section under Band of Seven.)


	6. Chapter 5

Kagome sat up and wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. She could hear the heavy footsteps that she had come to recognize as Bankotsu and knew she had to look happy. She closed her eyes and took a calming breath as she heard the rattle of the lock. She had to at least seem happy, and a small part of her was. She was finally going to be able to bathe.

He entered the room and closed the door behind him. In his hands he carried three sets of shackles of varying size, chains, and a piece of cloth. Kagome stared at the shackles and shivered.

"Well, you look much better," he told her with a smile. "On your feet."

As she stood, he rested the two smaller sets of shackles over his arm. The larger one, which had a huge ring in the middle of it, he opened and slipped it around her waist. It was a bit tight, but it clicked shut with no problem. She took another steadying breath.

Taking a second set of shackles, Bankotsu kneeled down and slipped them over her ankles. This set of shackles was connected to the third set by some the chains, Kagome noticed. She watched as he stood up and placed the third set of shackled over her wrists.

He then slipped another chain through the ring around her waist before looking up into her eyes. He held up the piece of cloth.

Kagome gasped. "Is this really necessary?" she asked.

He smirked as he placed the cloth over her eyes and tied it securely in the back. "I wouldn't want you to get any ideas of escaping, now would I?" he questioned back. "This is to make sure you can't see where you are. And, just so you know, I do not have the keys for your shackles, so it would be useless to fight me for them."

For the first time in ages, Kagome smirked. "A little paranoid, Bankotsu?" she taunted.

Her question earned her a slap across the face before he roughly grabbed her jaw. "Don't push me, miko," he growled. "I will leave you in this filthy stink hole and let you rot in it."

He led her through what seemed like a labyrinth. She knew he was taking her through a long way just so she wouldn't be able to map it out in her head. He was smart. It worked. She had no idea where they were or how she would ever find her way out.

But she knew fresh air when she smelled it. Even though she was blindfolded, Kagome closed her eyes and reveled in the feel of the wind on her face. She felt her body come to life and the sun kissed her skin. She would never again take the outside world for granted.

He suddenly stopped her. "There are four steps going upward here," he told her. "Step carefully and don't trip."

To her surprise, he held her hand and helped her as she felt for the stairs with her foot. She grabbed her yukata with one hand and held it up a bit so she wouldn't accidentally step on it. When she reached the top, he continued to lead her along a wooden walkway. They did this three or more times, each time, he would stop her, tell her how many steps up or down, and then help her conquer them.

She heard the sounds of a waterfall drawing near and she desperately wished she could see it. She did not dare ask for permission, though. It took a hand job and a blow job just to get permission to bathe. She hated to think what she might have to do to see a waterfall.

He stopped her and she heard a door slide open. "There are six steps down," he told her before leading her down the stairs.

She could literally smell the heat and water and she let out a pleasurable sigh. Bankotsu chuckled. "If only you'd make that sound when I'm inside of you," he commented as he laughed.

Kagome frowned. He wanted her to _enjoy_ when he raped her? Was he insane?

He halted her once they were fully in the room. She felt a rope run across one of her wrists before he started unlocking the shackles. He gently pulled the blindfold off of her.

She looked around the bath house. Her toiletries sat by the steaming pool and a fresh yukata lay nicely folded on a table off to the side of the pool. There were opaque windows all around the bath house, but only one door. Near the ceiling, she saw openings that she knew were vents for the steam to escape from.

She glanced down at the rope tied to her wrist and saw that Bankotsu was holding the other end. She gazed up at his cobalt eyes. "You're going to watch me bathe, aren't you?" she questioned rhetorically.

He shook his head. "No," he answered. Her eyes widened in hopeful surprise before he corrected her, "I'm going to bathe you."

* * *

Inuyasha came to a sudden halt and drew his sword. His companions stopped in their tracks and looked at him.

"What is it?" Sango asked.

"Naraku's scent," the hanyou growled.

His companions strategically placed themselves behind him as Kirara transformed into her larger self. The wind swept around them as Kagura appeared in front of them.

She snapped her fan shut. "Yo," she greeted.

"Kagura!" Sango sneered as she readied her Hiraikotsu.

The wind witch chuckled. "Do you really intend on throwing that useless weapon at me?" she asked.

"Where's Kagome?" Miroku and Inuyasha asked at the same time.

Kagura shrugged. "That's what I came to tell you," she replied. "Apparently, the last three members of the Band of Seven have all but vanished from Naraku's scrutiny. He had intended for you to kill them, thereby buying him time. But over a week ago, they disappeared without a trace. Since then, he has not been able to find them."

"The Band of Seven?" Inuyasha repeated as he straightened up from his fighting stance.

Kagura pulled a feather out of her hair and threw it into the air. "Find them and I'm sure you'll find your miko."

Miroku approached Inuyasha's side as they watched the wind witch disappear into the sky. "Do you think she's telling the truth?"

"What would the Band of Seven want with Kagome?" Sango asked as she lowered her Hiraikotsu.

It was Shippo who piped up with an answer. "She can sense jewel shards. Maybe they're wanting to collect as many as they can to stay alive," he suggested.

Inuyasha sheathed his sword. "I don't know, but if those bastards harm her in anyway, they're dead!"

As the hanyou took off, Miroku and Sango glanced at one another in concern. Miroku shook his head. "Somehow, I don't think they want her to collect shards for them," he said.

Sango nodded. "Doesn't Bankotsu blame Inuyasha for the deaths of his four fallen comrades?" she inquired.

Miroku nodded and looked in the direction Inuyasha had run off in. Grasping his staff, he followed the hanyou at an urgent walk, with Sango at his heels. "If he's looking for revenge, then Kagome's in more danger than we originally thought," he said as they hurried to catch up with their silver haired friend.

Mounting Kirara's back, Sango touched her companion's head. "Hurry, Kirara!"

* * *

Bankotsu kept his eyes on Kagome as he undressed. "I'm giving you some liberty by holding you with only a rope," he told her as he untied his obi. "Don't make me regret it."

She nodded as she kept her eyes fixed on a spot right above and beyond his left shoulder. When he pulled off his haori, she couldn't help but glance at his tanned, muscled chest. She immediately blushed and shifted her eyes away.

He smirked. "You like my chest, do you?" he observed. "There's nothing wrong with looking at it, you know. I'll even let you touch it if you wish."

Her blush refused to leave her cheeks. "I'm not impressed," she growled.

He chuckled. "If you say so, miko, though I think your face disagrees with you."

He slipped his hakama off and pulled her closer to him. He slipped her yukata off of one shoulder. "Go ahead, Kagome," he urged her. "You need to undress if you wish to bathe."

She glanced at his eyes before looking away. Her blush deepened as she began slipping the garment off. When her sleeve got stuck on the rope, he grabbed her arm and threaded the rope through the yukata.

He led her to the pool, but instead of her slowly dipping herself in, she just let herself fall. She never thought she'd miss the feel of warm water this much. She glanced at Bankotsu to let him know that she was all right before dipping her head under the water. How badly she wanted to swim!

As he joined her in the pool, she broke the surface and gasped at the air. He smiled at her. "You wouldn't mind explaining to me how this shampoo stuff works, would you?" he asked as he grabbed the shampoo bottle. "How do you open it?"

She moved closer to him and showed him how to pop the top open. When she went to take the bottle from him, he pulled it away from her. "Uh-uh. I told you. I'm going to bathe you."

She waited for him to pour a hearty amount of shampoo into his hand. "Turn around," he ordered her and she quickly obeyed.

Though he plopped the goo onto the top of her head, she was amazed by how gently he massaged it into her scalp. In spite of herself, she closed her eyes and tilted her head back a bit. A soft, pleasurable moan escaped her lips. She had really missed the feel of shampoo.

When he was finished, he released her head and she ducked herself under the water. She felt his hands again as he washed the shampoo out of her hair. Feeling herself running out of air, she broke the surface of the water and wiped the water out of her eyes.

He turned her around and smiled at her. "That wasn't so bad, now was it?" he commented.

She shook her head and he reached for the body wash. She placed a hand on his arm before he could grab it, though. "Would you mind if I brushed my teeth first?" she asked.

He gave her a hard look before he nodded in agreement. He watched as she took the toothbrush and toothpaste and brushed her teeth. To his surprise, she walked over to the side of the pool and spit the toothpaste out.

"Why did you do that?" he inquired.

"Can't swallow it," she replied as she continued brushing her teeth. She could still taste his semen from earlier and she wanted to get rid of the taste.

Once she was done, she cupped some water in her hands and rinsed her mouth. This, too, was spit over the side of the pool. When she was completely finished she turned her attention back to him and explained her spitting more, "Toothpaste is made of sodium fluoride. The sodium part isn't so bad, that's just salt. But when you mix it with fluorine, thus making sodium fluoride, it becomes less innocent. If you swallow it, it can make you sick, or worse, it can poison you."

He nodded slowly. "Yet you use it to clean your teeth," he remarked.

She sighed. "Nothing cleans teeth better," she answered. "And it kills the germs in your mouth that can decay your teeth. Not to mention, it gives you fresh breath."

He pulled her closer to him and sniffed her lips. He smirked. "I suppose it does," he commented as he grabbed the bottle of body wash.

He easily opened the bottle with a flick of his thumb and instructed her to sit on the side of the pool. She climbed out of the pool and did as he told her, letting her feet hang off the side. He followed her out and began rubbing the bath wash along her body with his hands.

**Author's Note: Edited for content**

She stared at the clear water as he washed her back. "Why would I do anything to help you?" she growled. "You're a pervert and a brute."

He grabbed her jaw and forced her to meet his eyes. "I'm not suggesting that you help _me_ out," he told her. "I'm letting you know what you have to do to get out of that cell. Don't you want out?"

"Of course I want out," she replied as she pulled her jaw out of his grasp. "And when Inuyasha gets here…"

"How many times do I have to tell you before you'll believe me?" he sneered. "That half breed isn't coming. He has no idea where you are, who you are with, or even how to find you. And even if he does find you, he's not going to want you. You and I have had sex so many times now…"

"Rape is not sex!" she argued.

"You're right," he agreed as he pulled her back into the pool. "Rape isn't sex. And if all I did was rape you, then he probably would have wanted you back."

"That _is_ all you do," she pointed out.

Bankotsu shook his head. "Maybe in the beginning," he said. "But you had an orgasm, Kagome. More than that, before you decided to throw your tantrum just now, you were falling for my caresses. Even if he would have accepted you back before, he's not going to now. The scent of your desire for me is too strong."

He watched her as her mind raced through the words he had said to her. Every fiber of her being wanted to deny what he said. She wanted to call him a liar. "How long has it been?" she asked suddenly, starting at the water.

He tilted his head. "Since?"

"Since you brought me here," she clarified.

He smirked. "Two weeks," he told her.

She gasped at stared up at him. Only two weeks?! She could have sworn it had been longer, while her mind desperately wished it had been shorter. Tears flooded her eyes as she turned away from him.

"Face it, Kagome," he said. "He's not coming. You belong to me now."

She glared at him. "I belong to no one," she snapped.

He smirked momentarily before his face turned serious. He stepped out of the water and pulled her to follow him. He led her over to the table where the yukata lay and grabbed a towel. As he dried her off, he leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "You will _always _be mine."


	7. Chapter 6

Renkotsu leaned against the wall and waited, albeit a bit impatiently, for his leader to come out of the dungeons. He sighed as he tapped his foot. While Renkotsu understood Bankotsu's desire for revenge, he did not think the young leader was going about it the right way. Had he kidnapped the girl and then killed her, everything would have been fine. Even raping her and tossing her back to the hanyou would have made sense. But Bankotsu insisted on keeping her around.

The bald mercenary stood up straight when he saw Bankotsu exit the dungeon. "Big Brother, I wish to speak to you," he said as he approached the younger man.

Bankotsu waved him off. "Not now. I gotta take a bath and remove that wench's filth from my body," he said his lip curled in distaste.

Renkotsu frowned. "If you don't like her that much, then why keep her around? She's of no use to us and she's holding us back."

Jakotsu appeared from another part of the castle they had claimed and nodded in agreement. "She's really gross and she's using up all my kimonos," he pouted.

Bankotsu pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "Two kimonos are hardly all of them," he said, eyes still closed. When he opened them again, they were hard and brooked no argument. "Have the two of you already forgotten our fallen comrades? Keeping that bitch here is driving Inuyasha and his band of misfits insane. Even better, I've no doubt in my mind that he's blaming Naraku for her disappearance. If we wait just a little while longer…"

"I want to kill something!" Renkotsu shouted.

Jakotsu nodded. "And I want my Inuyasha," he added. "It's not fair, you know? You're hogging all the fun, Bankotsu. Shouldn't we be allowed to do _something_?"

Bankotsu's eyes narrowed as he glared at his two comrades. "You think I'm having _fun_?"

Renkotsu raised an eyebrow and exchanged glances with Jakotsu. Together, they said, "Yes."

He opened his mouth to argue, but then Bankotsu stopped. They were right. He _was_ having fun with her. After killing and looting, rape was one of his favourite pastimes. He enjoyed hearing the girl scream and beg for him to stop.

The leader thought about it for a moment. If he let his men loose, they could keep the hanyou and his pack busy for a while. Long enough, even, for Bankotsu to really get inside Kagome's mind. But he didn't like the thought of Inuyasha being killed by anyone other than himself. It was _his_ responsibility, as leader, to avenge his fallen brethren.

He knew his men were getting antsy. Normally, by now, they would have left this dump and moved on to another castle to conquer. But he knew better than to underestimate his opponent.

Kagome had been right. Inuyasha had incredible tracking skills and was undeniably loyal to her. So was the wolf, Koga.

The way the situation was now; Bankotsu and his men were safely buried deep within a mountain, damn near close to a mountain top, with no other civilization close by. The smoke Renkotsu had formulated kept their scents hidden. If Bankotsu decided to move them, his entire plan would collapse upon impact.

Keeping his men hidden, potentially, had that same consequence. He was lucky to have been able to hold them back for as long as he had.

There was another threat to any plans Bankotsu made. If he decided to send his men out, there was every possibility that Inuyasha or Koga could kill them. While he fully believed in Jakotsu and Renkotsu's skills, he also knew that, however slight, there was always the chance of them dying. Suikotsu and Ginkotsu proved that much.

This plan of his was taking longer than he expected. Kagome was tough and stubborn. She refused to see Inuyasha as anything other than her protector and savior.

"Seems I'm gonna have to up my game," he mumbled to himself.

Renkotsu and Jakotsu glanced at one another. Renkotsu's eyes hardened. "Or you can just decapitate her and leave her head on a stake somewhere the half breed will find," he suggested as he turned back to his leader.

It was a thought. Bankotsu had to hand it to his second in command. But… "If I do that, sure he'll mourn her, but only for a little while. He'll get over it," he said. "What I'm doing now is far worse and will last a lot longer."

Renkotsu gave a frustrated growl. "And in the meantime, Jakotsu and I sit here like a couple of pansies!" he snarled. "I haven't killed a monk or burned down a village in almost three weeks now. Sure, it's fine for you. You get to have all sorts of fun tormenting the bitch. But we…"

"Enough!" Bankotsu growled as he glared at his second in command. He pointed an accusing finger at the man. "You forget who you're talking to and your place, Renkotsu! Do _not_ mistake _me_ for some sort of underling."

Jakotsu sighed before speaking up. "Guys, there's no point in fighting," he said, trying to quell their anger.

Bankotsu turned to his queer friend. "You agree with him, don't you?" he asked with narrow, suspicious eyes.

Jakotsu pinched his lips together and nodded. "But I know what you're trying to do with the wench. I get it, Big Brother," he quickly added to keep the younger man from becoming angry at him.

Bankotsu threw his hands up and turned away from them as he said in annoyance, "Fine!"

He walked a few paces away from them before turning to them again. "Go ahead!" he shouted. "Go hunt for the wolf and mutt. Burn down a village if you want. But do _not_ lead them here. Do not tell them where she is or where I am. Keep them as far away from here as you can. And when you burn down a village, make certain that village is nowhere close by to here."

Renkotsu looked at his leader curiously. "I thought the whole point in kidnapping her _was_ for them to find her with you?"

Bankotsu waved a hand at the older man. "She's not ready yet," he said dismissively. "When I feel she is ready, I'll take both of us out to meet them."

The bald man nodded. "Perhaps you should try a different tactic," he suggested.

Bankotsu stopped and looked at his friend. "What?"

Renkotsu shrugged. "It's obvious that brute force is not working on her," he said. "You've been at it for almost three weeks now and you're as close to her as you were when you started this whole thing. Maybe she needs a… softer hand."

The leader's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Like yours?"

The bald man held his hands up with his palms out in a show of submission. "Oh god, no," he rectified. "What I meant was that perhaps if you showed her some kindness…"

"I have shown her kindness!" Bankotsu barked. "I brought her out here, let her bathe. Hell, I gave her something soft to lie on and blankets to fight against the cold."

Renkotsu nodded. "You did," he agreed. "But I know she's been crying a lot. She misses her friends terribly."

"I'm not letting her go, Renkotsu," the younger man growled.

The older man shook his head. "And I'm not suggesting you do," he said. "But comforting her could go a long way, Big Brother. Comfort, kind words, maybe a turnabout around these grounds. There are various kindnesses that you haven't shown her. Women are weak, fragile creatures who thrive on attention and care. They like… pretty and cute things."

"I think I'm going to throw up," Jakotsu muttered as he turned away from his brothers.

Bankotsu tilted his head slightly. "You're suggesting that I woo her," he observed. "Why would I want to do that?"

Again, Renkotsu shrugged. "You're the one who wants to use her for vengeance against our fallen brethren. You want her to forget about the hanyou and never feel anything towards another man for the rest of her life. Well… Rape helps with that. Rape and torture. You've done those things and I assure you, they _are_ working. But if you want to get the full effect, you have to make her feel something towards you besides hatred. Otherwise, Inuyasha and Koga both still have a chance of… rehabilitating her. Charm the girl and I'm certain you'll get inside her head. God knows you have the looks to pull it off."

Bankotsu rubbed a finger under his bottom lip as he thought about Renkotsu's words. The older man was right. If he wanted to get inside her head, Bankotsu would have to change his method, but he wasn't certain he could trust his comrade completely. He glanced at Jakotsu, who was pretending to barf.

"What do you think? You agree with his assessment?" he asked.

Jakotsu glanced over his shoulder at his leader. "How would I know? I've never paid any attention to women. They're nasty," he said, emphasizing the word "nasty" with his tongue hanging out in disgust.

Bankotsu gave his second in command a skeptical look. "Where did you learn these things about women? Weren't you a monk before you came to us?" he asked.

Renkotsu rolled his eyes. "I _did_ have sisters," he pointed out. "And a mother who was spoiled by my father. It didn't take much to learn what women like and they're all the same."

Bankotsu nodded. It was something to consider. He waved a dismissive hand. "I'll think about it," he told the man. "You two had better get going. Make sure you use that smoke to cover your trail. I don't want that wolf or half breed to be able to follow your scent and come here."

Jakotsu clapped in happiness. "Thanks, Big Brother!"


	8. Chapter 7

Kagome heard the sounds of Bankotsu's heavy, booted footsteps and sat up. It couldn't have been that long since he had visited her. She sighed in disappointment. She had just managed to fall asleep, too!

The lock rattled and he opened the door. She was surprised to see the shackles in his hand as he stepped inside. Another bath? What did she do to earn _that_ reward? Or… the better question, she guessed, what was he expecting her to do?

"Stand up," Bankotsu ordered.

Kagome quickly did as she was told and brushed off her yukata. She watched him as he kneeled down and began the process of fastening the shackles to her ankles and waist. He then stood up and shackled her wrists before looking her in the eyes.

"It's too cold down here," he told her. "I'm going to move you to my bedroom, but first, I want to go over some ground rules with you."

She felt her heart skip a beat as she held her breath. He was letting her out of the dungeon. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and waited for him to continue.

"There are no villages anywhere around here," he said. "We are high and deep in the mountains, so if you try to escape, you'll die of exposure and hunger before you find your precious Inuyasha. I'm going on a limb by trusting you to stay within the walls of this fortress. Also, Jakotsu has agreed to part with a few more of his yukata and kimono. You'll be allowed to bathe freely and can change as you will. You will not find your weapons, so don't even bother to look. You will stay in my room unless I am with you, and yes, that includes bathing."

It was far more than she expected. "W-why are you doing this?" she asked, not daring to hope. "What do you want from me?"

He snorted as he put an arm around her shoulders and drew her closer to him. "Simple," he said softly. "I want you to be more comfortable. It's so dark and dreary down here. Not to mention, it's damn right filthy. A woman of your beauty should be in the light and the sun."

She looked away from him and he used that opportunity to nuzzle her neck. She cringed. "If this is a ploy…"

Bankotsu pulled away from her and shook his head. "No ploy," he assured her. "I'm just tired of coming down here. Like I said, it's dirty and dreary. And the walk is pretty tiring."

She looked up at him. He had taken her to the hot spring a grand total of four times now. Each time he'd taken her, she was both shackled and blind-folded. She was unable to make out a pattern in the twists and turns within the dungeon, for he seemed to take a different route each time. "Maybe if you wouldn't walk in circles it wouldn't be such a tiring walk," she commented.

He drew his hand back to backhand her and she closed her eyes, waiting for the blow. When it didn't come, she dared to peek out at him. His hand was poised as if to strike, but then it slowly dropped to his side.

"Don't test me, miko," he growled. "You've been good until now. Keep making snide remarks like that, and I'll leave you here to rot."

He tilted her chin upwards with one finger, so she would meet his gaze. "Continue to display good behaviour, like you've been doing, and you'll receive even more rewards," he promised her, "more freedoms. Who knows? Maybe, once you've earned my trust enough, I'll even take you out hunting with me."

Her eyes widened. Was he really being serious? She watched as he took a piece of cloth out of his haori. She sighed. "If you're taking me out of the dungeon, why do I need that?" she asked as he placed the cloth around her eyes.

"In case you decide to misbehave, I may have to bring you back down here. I don't want you to know how to get out of here," he replied.

She heard the door open and followed him as he pulled her along by the chains.

* * *

As Bankotsu slipped off the blindfold, Kagome took in her surroundings. The bedroom was spacious and clean. A tatami bed was the centerpiece of the room and was neatly made. The room was decorated in soft beige and white. It was pristine with Akida wood furniture. Light was brought to the room by a wall, to wall window which Kagome surmised must be a door to the outside.

Bankotsu unlocked her shackles and helped her out of them. Once she was free, Kagome went to the "window" and found that it was, indeed, a door. She glanced at her captor for a moment and, at his nod, she slid the door open.

The door opened to a balcony and an incredible picture of the land. Kagome sucked in a breath at the amazing view. She stepped onto the balcony and reached out a hand, daring it to be real. Miles of trees and hilly slopes as far as the eye could see were spread out before her with no ending in sight. There were no farmlands or livestock covered pastures. She didn't see any trails or roads. It was all just… trees.

She glanced down over the edge of the balcony and gasped. The palace was situated over a cliff. The closest "land" was the top of a tree over twenty feet down.

She gazed up into the sky and smiled. There were a few clouds, but it was mostly a clear, blue sky. The sun was off to the side and she could tell it had to be about late in the afternoon. She could see a flock of birds flying to the south and envied their freedom.

She felt a hand against the small of her back and closed her eyes. Bankotsu had moved to stand next to her as he, too, gazed out at the view. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" he whispered.

She gave a soft nod, but he didn't seem to see it. He continued talking as though she hadn't moved at all. "In my childhood and my young adulthood, I took things like trees and sky for granted. Never paid any attention to them. Hell, the only good a tree was for was for hiding behind. Or firewood. When Naraku resurrected me, I hadn't realized how much I'd missed trees until I saw them again. Feeling the wind dance across my skin and around my cloths is incredible. And the sun… Light. Humans take these things for granted all the time. It's just…"

"It's life," she finished for him.

They turned to one another and gazed into each other's eyes. For a moment, Kagome thought he might actually give her a genuine kiss. Before he could press his lips to hers, however, he shook his head and turned back towards the room.

"As you can see," he said as though the moment had never happened, "it really is hopeless for you to try and escape. The drop alone would kill you."

She gave one last, longing look at the sky before turning back into the room. "Why are you doing this?" she asked.

He turned on her with narrow eyes. Gone was the look of peace that had donned his features. "That is the second time you've asked me that question," he growled. "Continue to question my motives and I will rip out your tongue."

She gasped as she snapped her mouth shut. He smirked as he stepped towards her. "Why don't we make use of that bed?" he suggested as he ran a finger down her arm.

He pulled her obi loose with his other hand and pulled her closer to him. As he dipped his head to lick her neck, she couldn't help but wonder if he would ever grow tired of her.

He led her over to the bed before roughly pushing her onto it. She watched as he began to undress. Looking around, she noticed his Banryu propped up against the door. She brought her attention back to Bankotsu and shivered as he approached her...

* * *

**Author's Note:** Story edited for content.

On another note: if you've been reading the full version on AFF, don't be afraid to post comments here. I know a lot of people don't have accounts on AFF and I won't try a persuade you to get one. I'd really like you're thoughts on this story. I'm not getting paid for it, so a kind word or two would be nice. Also, don't forget to check out my other works within the Inuyasha fandom. I'm almost done with CWW. (I think I'm about done with this fic, too.)

I know it seems like everything is happening fast between these two, but keep in mind that this is going over a 4 week period or so, most of which Kagome is locked up in a cell where her only light source are candles stationed _outside_ her cell. And Bankotsu comes to her randomly, so it's hard for her to keep track of the days. What is, in reality, only a month, seems much longer to her, especially since her only contact is Bankotsu. By the time this scene above us plays out, he's already got her pretty ensnared.


	9. Chapter 8

Kagome pulled her knees up to her chest, buried her face in her hands, and cried. How could she do it? How could she just let him touch her like that? Had she no shame?

She _knew_ Inuyasha and the others were out looking for her. Yet, for one brief moment, one horrible moment, she had allowed herself to believe that they didn't care. What the hell was wrong with her? Inuyasha always, _always_ came through for her. No matter what. How she could doubt him, for even a moment, was uncalled for and made her feel sick.

Her mind wandered over to her friends and she wondered what they were doing right now. Where were they? Did they really believe that Naraku had her? Was it as Bankotsu had told her? Were they looking for Naraku instead of the Band of Seven?

It only made sense. No one in the group would suspect that the Band of Seven had anything to do with her disappearance. If anything, that idea would probably be the furthest from their minds. Unless…

She shook her head. No. Even _if_ they found Naraku, she couldn't rely on that murderous wretch to give them any clues. He would have too much fun tormenting Inuyasha with the idea that Kagome was hidden and the hanyou couldn't find her.

She lifted her head and stared blankly at the wall across from her. Bankotsu had gone out to hunt and warned her about leaving. Now would be the perfect time for her to make her escape, though she didn't know where Renkotsu or Jakotsu were. They could be watching her and just waiting for an excuse to off her. She could hear the conversation.

"Sorry, Big Brother. The girl just tried to get away. We had to do something…"

Again, she shook her head. She didn't have many options and each one seemed less reasonable than the last. It would be best to just stay where she was and continue to put her trust in Inuyasha. _He _will_ find me_, she thought to herself.

* * *

Bankotsu ran a hand through his hair. Killing wild beast was easy for him. His boar lay quite dead at his feet. He knew staying away from the palace could be dangerous, but he needed time to think.

He knew better than to believe that _one_ bout of hot sex was enough to turn the miko over. He had to step up his game if he wanted to win her. It would be the perfect revenge against that mutt.

"_Women are weak, fragile creatures who thrive on attention and care. They like… pretty and cute things."_

Renkotsu's words echoed in his mind. Bankotsu had gone through the girl's bag several times, looking for ideas. Knowledge was power. And if Bankotsu had any ideas of what she'd like, he could use that to his advantage. But he was clueless about what half the shit in her bag had even meant. She certainly wasn't lying about being from the future, that much he knew.

He stared at a pink rose bush and was tempted to kick it into submission. What the hell was he going to do? He didn't know the first thing about wooing a girl. Even worse, how the hell was he supposed to woo a girl that was from the future?

He had found an extra toothbrush in her bag and surprised her by using it and the toothpaste. She seemed to enjoy the minty smell of his breath, so he had continued to use the stuff. He also took more baths, which seemed to please her as well. Getting her to suck his cock wasn't as difficult when his cock was clean. Though, she still fought him when he ordered her to swallow his cum.

He glared at the rose bush, silently blaming it for his problems. He suddenly blinked, surprised that the answer had been staring at him the entire time. He refused to think that he was an idiot for not thinking of it before as he began picking some of the roses off of the bush. Once he had a total of twelve perfect roses, he hefted his Banryu onto his shoulder and, holding the flowers and a piece of rope tied around the dead boar, began his trek back to the palace.

* * *

Kagome stood on the balcony and stared at the twinkling stars. She sent one silent prayer after another to Inuyasha. _Please, find me._

She knew he couldn't hear her, but she still prayed for him to come to her. Hope gleamed in her eyes as she imagined him actually hearing her prayers. In her mind's eye, she could see him perched in a tree somewhere, staring at the same stars.

_Please be safe, Kagome_. She imagined him thinking to himself. His golden eyes would be clouded in concern and worry. He wouldn't be able to sleep. Maybe he would be fighting back tears that threatened to spill over…

No. Not her Inuyasha. He was too strong for tears. He would be worried, but he wouldn't cry over it.

A small smile played on her lips.

"Still thinking about that half breed, I see," a male voice said, startling her out of her daydream.

Kagome whipped around to see Bankotsu standing in the doorway of the room. He leaned against the door frame and looked smug. For a moment, she imagined crossing the room and slugging the smugness out of his face. But the thought passed and died before it came to fruition. He would beat her if she actually tried it.

She folded her arms. "So what if I was thinking about him, huh?" she bit. "He's my best friend and I love him."

She wasn't afraid to deny her feelings to this pervert. She was, however, fearful of the look he gave her. She snapped her mouth shut and waited for the storm to come.

It never came. Instead, he stalked over to her and shoved a bunch of roses into her chest. "I got something for you," he said, the softness of his voice belying the anger he felt.

She was still denying him. Whatever had happened between them earlier that day had meant nothing to her. Or, at least, she was trying to make it mean nothing. He could see it in her eyes and hear it in the catch of her breath. It was painfully slow, but the desire for him _was_ growing, whether she wanted it to or not.

She stared down at the roses in shock. Roses? She just delivered him a blow to his ego and he gives her _roses_? She glanced up at him in suspicion, but he had already turned away from her.

"I'm roasting a boar," he said. "I'll come get you when the food is ready."

Her eyes followed him as he closed the door and his shadow walked away from the room. What game was he playing now? She glanced down at the roses. Where was she going to put them? He gave her roses, but… she had no vase.


	10. Chapter 9

Now that she was out in the open, Kagome found it much easier to track the days. Whether this was actually a _good_ thing, she still couldn't decide. Each day was another day with _him_. Each day seemed to become even more confusing than the last, too.

She really didn't understand what he was doing. It seemed almost as though Suikotsu had taken over a part of Bankotsu's mind or something. Or Bankotsu had been replaced by some lovesick schoolboy. Either way, he wasn't… _acting_ right.

Sure, he still demanded sex of some sort every day, but as the days turned into weeks, he started to become less violent. He didn't keep her locked in the bedroom like he had originally said he was going to do. Instead, she was allowed to roam freely about the palace, so long as she stayed away from the palace gates.

That was how she was able to realize that they were alone. When she asked him where Renkotsu and Jakotsu were, he was honest with her. He told her they left to seek out Inuyasha and start trouble. They were keeping the half breed busy for a while.

Kagome sighed. Sure, she understood why Bankotsu was keeping her locked away. Without a doubt in her mind, she knew Inuyasha was probably in a fit of worry over her. Sango and Miroku, more than likely, were having a time just keeping him calm. And Shippo… Poor Shippo. She could only imagine the heartache the little orphaned kit was going through right now.

As her friends crossed her mind, so did her family. This only made her even sadder. By now, her mother was, without a doubt, fraught with worry. Gramps was probably praying at the temple every single day. Sota would be close to finishing school for the year, but without knowing how his sister was doing, he was probably struggling.

Oh, Kagome hoped not. She'd hate to see her brother struggle because of her. She wasn't worth that amount of worry.

She sighed again as she leaned against the railing. She had been walking along one of the palace's covered lanes and stopped to gaze out into the unending forest. It really was beautiful and she wondered how Bankotsu had found this place.

A boutique of flowers was suddenly shoved in her face. She gasped and took a step back only to collide with something solid and hard. She turned her head slightly to see his face. He gave her a genuine smile. "For you," he told her.

Stunned, she accepted the flowers and he bent down to kiss her cheek. "Th-thank you," she stammered.

His smile grew in size as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. "A woman as beautiful as yourself deserves beautiful things," he told her.

She blushed as she turned away from him. Why was he doing this? It seemed only last week he was backhanding her across the face and forcing her to live in a dungeon cell. And now, he was giving her flowers and making remarks about her beauty? She didn't understand the change. It didn't make sense!

"So, any sign of him yet?" he asked.

She glanced up at him in surprise. He was looking out at the forest, the same as she had been. He didn't seem angry, but, rather, genuinely curious.

Her eyes hardened. She did not know the game he was playing, but if he thought she was going to give up, he was wrong. She followed his gaze and decided to answer him. "Not yet," she replied. "But he'll come. He always does."

He chuckled as he bent down to nuzzle her neck. "And in the meantime," he whispered in her ear, "I'll be coming as well… inside of you."

Her face twisted in disgust as she tried to pull herself out of his embrace. "Ugh! You pervert!" she hissed.

He laughed as he held her in place. "Careful," he said. "You'll ruin your flowers."

"I don't care about flowers," she snapped as she fought even more to get out of his embrace. She pounded her fists on his chest. "I am so sick of you. Why can't you just let me go already? You got what you wanted!"

He continued to hold her as she hit his chest. The flowers, now in shambles, drifted out of her hand, some onto the ground and some over the railing. Every fiber of his being wanted to hit her back. How dare this little slut strike him! But he restrained himself. He knew that if he had any chance of winning her over completely, he would have to stop being so violent every time she threw a tantrum.

His eyes narrowed as he glared at her. She froze in fear as she met his eyes. She knew what that look meant. She also knew she deserved whatever punishment he decided to dish out. Kagome waited for the predicted backhand or rape that would happen next.

Instead, he whispered, dangerously, "Are you really that naïve? How could you possibly know what it is I want? I have given you every luxury. Everything you have asked for, I have done."

She barked false laughter. "If that were the case, you would have let me go by now," she sneered.

"And where would you go?" he asked. He tugged her so that she was forced to look out at the forest. "There isn't a village or road out there for days. The forest is loaded with demons and wild predators. You may survive one night out there, two if you're lucky. But those demons, those wild animals, they'll find you. And they'll rip you to shreds."

He rested his chin on her shoulder as he pulled her flesh with him. "You're safe here," he whispered before delivering a soft kiss to her shoulder. "You're safe with me, my little miko."

* * *

Kagome woke up and looked around her. Bankotsu was sleeping on his back beside her, as naked as the day he was born. A small bit of the sheets covered one leg, but did not bother to hide his most intimate parts. She shivered.

Most of the sheets were covering her, and she knew it hadn't started out that way. As she fixed the sheets so they covered him more, she noticed how peaceful his face looked. She stopped to gaze at it for a moment. When he was like this, he did not look like a mass murderer who enjoyed wreaking havoc and destroying innocent virgins. He looked like a teenage boy who was content with life.

For a brief moment, as she tucked the covers more firmly around him, she was tempted to kiss his temple. The moment passed just as quickly as it had gotten there.

It had been three months since he had kidnapped her and brought her to this palace. About a month ago, he had changed somehow. He stopped playing the dragon to her damsel in distress and became this charming prince determined to woo her. Each day it was getting harder and harder to hate him for what he had done.

The reason why she had woken up in the eve of night hit her again. She sprinted from the bed and pulled the door to the balcony open. She rushed over to the edge of the balcony and began emptying the contents of her stomach.

She felt fingers pulling her hair out of her face and knew she had woken Bankotsu up. As she finished heaving her dinner, she sunk to the floor. Bankotsu was kneeling beside her, his eyes looking over her face in concern.

"Sorry to have awoken you," she whispered.

He gave her a small half smile. "It's ok," he told her. "What do you think it was?"

She shook her head. "Maybe the berries I ate?" she guessed. "I thought they had tasted funny."

He nodded as he helped her up. "Did you want to go back to bed or would you like to get cleaned up?" he asked.

She thought it over for a moment and then sighed. "I should at least brush my teeth," she replied.

He nodded again and placed a kiss on her forehead. He threaded his arm around her waist and walked her to the bathhouse.

* * *

"Where's Kagome?!" Inuyasha demanded as he glared at the queer man before him.

Jakotsu pouted. "So worried about that little girl," he commented. "You don't need a girl, Inuyasha. You need a man like me!"

As the man slashed his snake-like sword at Inuyasha, the hanyou jumped away to dodge it. "Shut up!" Inuyasha shouted in disgust.

"Inuyasha!" Sango shouted as she threw her Hiraikotsu.

Her boomerang managed to wrap itself around the snake sword, thus ending Jakotsu's attack. "Filthy woman!" Jakotsu snarled as he tugged his sword free. "I'll kill you!"

As he lashed his blade towards Sango, Kirara leaped towards her and, picking her up with her teeth, brought her to safety. "Thanks, Kirara," the demon slayer said as she patted the cat.

"Your fight is with me!" Inuyasha shouted as he raised his sword to Jakotsu.

In the meantime, Miroku was doing his best to stave off Renkotsu. He parried the attacks the mercenary sent to him with his staff.

"Where is she?" the monk asked as he parried another attack.

Renkotsu sneered at the monk. Then a thought occurred to him. The whole point of Bankotsu kidnapping the girl had been to exact revenge on Inuyasha. The mercenary smirked as he threw his fire whip at the monk again.

An evil chuckle escaped the mercenary's lips. "You want to know where she is, hm?" he asked.

Jakotsu cast a quick glance at his comrade. Surely Renkotsu wasn't planning to betray Bankotsu?

His smirk remained plastered on his face, as Renkotsu continued, "Right now, she is hidden where none of you can find her. Even more, she's probably pleasuring Bankotsu in some way, either with her mouth or with another body part of hers."

Miroku gasped as he immediately caught the mercenary's meaning. Inuyasha parried another of Jakotsu's attacks as he tried to face Renkotsu. "What are you talking about?" the hanyou demanded.

Miroku's eyes hardened in anger as he twirled his staff in his hand. "You worthless corpse!" he shouted as he whipped his staff at the mercenary. "You and your leader will pay for defiling her!"

Both of the mercenaries laughed as Renkotsu sidestepped the monk's attack and cast his whip at him again. "_I_ wasn't the one who defiled her," the mercenary assured the monk. "And last I saw, she was _enjoying_ it."

Realization hit Inuyasha and the hanyou's face twisted in anger. His upper lip curled in a growl. "We don't have time for this," he snarled as he turned back to Jakotsu. "Wind Scar!"

The queer man gasped at he raised his sword in an attempt to shield himself from the attack. It didn't work. Jakotsu was hit, full force, with the attack. He was lifted into the air and thrown like a ragdoll onto a pile of rocks.

Renkotsu knew he would have to finish this fight quickly. He took a pull from his gourd and spit fire at the group. Then, as quickly as he could, he ran to the crippled Jakotsu. Seeing that his friend was on the throes of death, Renkotsu bent down towards him. "Forgive me, my friend," he said as he took Jakotsu's jewel shard, thereby ending the man's life.

The mercenary cast a quick glance at the group and threw a smoke screen at them. Then, using the smoke he had used when they kidnapped Kagome, he made his escape.

Miroku had dug his staff into the ground when Renkotsu unleashed the fire. The staff had managed to shield him and the others. Dropping to one knee, the monk stared angrily at the ground. Images of Kagome being raped by these evil men flashed across his mind.

"Kirara, after him!" Sango shouted.

The cat was quick to do her mistress' bidding but returned moments later, unable to locate the mercenary. Inuyasha growled and stabbed the ground with his sword. "Damn it!"

Sango stared at the road ahead of them, worry written across her face. She felt the little fox demon jump onto her shoulder and lifted her hand to pat him on the head. "Kagome," she whispered.

* * *

"What?!" Koga shouted in disbelief as Miroku told him about what they learned.

Sango sighed as she reached a hand out to touch the wolf's shoulder. "We're really sorry, Koga," she said.

The wolf glanced at her for a moment before rounding on Inuyasha. "This is all _your_ fault, you stinking mutt!" he growled. "If you had been with Kagome in the first place…"

"Shut up, you stupid fleabag!" the hanyou interrupted with just as much venom. "You think I don't know that?"

"Guys," Miroku said, doing what he could to quell the flames. "Fighting isn't going to get Kagome back. We need to focus on her and not on each other."

Sango nodded. "Miroku's right," she agreed. "We have to look at the clues Renkotsu and Jakotsu gave us and see if we can draw some conclusions from them that may lead us to her."

"The only problem is, they didn't really give us any clues," Shippo said as he stood next to a pint-sized Kirara.

Miroku rubbed his chin. "Not directly," he said. "Renkotsu said she was hidden where we couldn't find her."

Inuyasha sniffed. "He also said Kagome was enjoying..."

"He only said that to goad you," the monk snapped angrily. "Apparently, it worked."

Ignoring Inuyasha, Sango suddenly snapped her fingers. "Weren't there twigs in Jakotsu's hair?"

"A forest, maybe?" the monk suggested.

"There are forests all around, monk," Koga pointed out. "She could be hidden in any one of them."

Inuyasha growled in frustration. "And while we're sitting around here chatting, Kagome's in danger," he snapped.

Miroku looked at his friend. "You said you were unable to pick up Renkotsu's scent after he fled the battle," he stated. "They must be using some sort of camouflage to cover their tracks."

"You think?" the hanyou snapped irritably.

Sango sighed. "This is getting us nowhere. The only clues we have is a forest. At least we know she's alive."

Miroku nodded. "Our only option at this point is to keep going. Hopefully we'll be able to pick up another clue somewhere."

The demon slayer gave him a dubious look. "Sure, if Renkotsu decides to come back out of hiding himself."

Koga shook his head. "Well, I've searched through all the forests around here. She's not in any of them," he told them.

"We'll have to just keep looking," Miroku stated more firmly. He placed a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder. "We'll find her, Inuyasha."

The hanyou gave a low growl, but did not meet his friend's eyes. Now more than ever, Inuyasha felt the guilt of losing her. He never should have let her out of his sight.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I know it's going fast. But I did that because I did not want the fic to be long and drawn out. My mind has a habit of blocking ideas as well as giving me random ones. I want to be able to finish this story _before_ my mind decides it's had enough.


	11. Chapter 10

Another month had passed and everything was going as planned. Though Kagome still tried to fight Bankotsu off, the fights were becoming less powerful. Nights were spent in passionate sex and he made sure to see her satisfied every time.

Bankotsu leaned against the door frame of their bedroom and watched her. A smirk graced his lips as she stood on the balcony and watched the clouds go by. He was being honest with her when he called her beautiful. He did not deny that she was. To him, she was even more beautiful when she was screaming his name in the midst of ecstasy.

He watched as she sat upon the floor, legs tucked under her body. She buried her face in her hands and began crying. His eyes hardened. She still cried over that pathetic half breed.

Bankotsu sighed as he knew what he had to do. He crossed the room and fixed his face to show "genuine" concern and sympathy for her. Sure, he didn't _really_ feel those things. He had no feelings towards her, in all honesty. She was just a pound of flesh and a means to an end. But if he wanted to win her over, he had to put on a show of compassion.

He joined her on the floor and pulled her into an embrace. To his relief, she did not fight him. He held her while she cried. Perhaps, if he showed her that he "actually cared" about her, she would begin to fall for him. He had begun comforting her more and more with this thought in his mind.

It seemed to work too. Last night, she had come to him willingly and had even pleasured him without being told to. In fact, last night had exceeded his expectations and he really had no idea where it had come from…

**Author's Note: Edited for content.**

He continued to hold her, cautious not to say anything. He knew she'd speak when she was ready.

After what seemed like forever, she pushed herself away from him and stared at the floor. "I don't understand," she whispered.

His eyebrows furrowed, but as he opened his mouth to respond, she continued, "What's wrong with me? I should be waiting for Inuyasha. I should be missing him and wishing for him to be here. And I _do_, on all accounts. But…"

Her soft blues eyes looked up at him. "I don't know why, but I just wanted to feel you," she said, confusion in her eyes. "A part of me still does. Being close to you, feeling your body against mine…"

She turned her gaze away from him again. "What are you doing to me, Bankotsu? It seems every move you make, makes me want to just… I don't know."

He raised an eyebrow. "You want me," he stated simply.

Her eyes shot to his face in immediate denial. "No! Never! You're a pig and a murderer and a rapist and…"

Bankotsu cupped her cheek with his hand. "It's ok, my little miko," he assured her, while his mind reeled in elation. "It's completely natural to develop feelings towards someone when you've spent a lot of time with them. There's nothing wrong with that. And, let's face it. You and I _have_ been spending a _lot_ of time together."

She opened her mouth to respond, but stopped suddenly. Her eyes widened as she stood up and ran from the room. Alarmed, Bankotsu followed her… all the way to the pit toilet room. He stopped and waited for her.

It didn't take her long to emerge from the toilet. "Are you ok?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah," she replied. "I've been going to the bathroom a lot lately, it seems. I don't know why."

He shrugged. "Perhaps you're drinking too much water?" he suggested.

She sighed. "Just so you know," she said. "I _haven't_ been developing any feelings for you other than contempt."

He smirked. "Keep telling yourself that, my little miko," he snarked.

* * *

Kagome leaned against the railing and rested her chin in her hand. She gazed out into the wilderness, searching for any possible opening among the trees. That's when she saw it. Far out in the distance, there it was.

She blinked. It wasn't an opening or a break. She was sure it wasn't a road, either. But… She stared at that spot, not daring to hope it was what she thought. The more she gazed at it, the more she realized what it was: The edge of the forest.

She took a deep breath and sighed. Finding the edge didn't do her much good. Even if she managed to escape this place, Bankotsu was right. She'd never survive the demons and predators in this forest. Besides, that edge could take days, if not weeks, to get to.

Maybe she was imagining it, anyway. She wanted so badly to leave this nightmare. It only made sense that her mind would conjure up a mirage. Not that the palace was much of a nightmare.

She closed her eyes and bit back the tears. No. She couldn't think like that. No matter how kind Bankotsu was being towards her, no matter what he did for her, he was still her captor. He was still an evil man who wanted nothing more than vengeance. He was her tormentor, abuser, and rapist.

She turned back towards the bedroom and went inside. She really did not know where Bankotsu had gotten half of the stuff he had been giving her. Aside from the flowers, he had given her some incredibly beautiful silk kimonos and some really nice jewelry. She had to assume that he had taken these things from whoever had lived in this palace before.

She hated the idea of wearing the stolen goods of a group of people Bankotsu and his men had murdered. But who said Bankotsu had murdered them? She had seen no bodies. There was no blood stained on the walls or floors. There weren't even scorch marks to hint that Renkotsu might have burned them all.

When he wasn't off hunting or giving her precious baubles, Bankotsu was often by her side, talking to her. He was rarely ever angry. He was a jolly person who loved to laugh. And he had a beautiful smile when it wasn't tainted with evil. He was relaxed around her and seemed to enjoy her company as much as she enjoyed his.

No! She stopped herself. She could not let his charms play her like that. He really was starting to get into her head and she did _not_ like it.

Neither Renkotsu nor Jakotsu had returned yet and Kagome assumed it was because they were dead. Bankotsu refused to believe that, however, and was adamant that they were just keeping Inuyasha busy.

Kagome sat upon the bed and buried her face in her hands. She cried and wondered how many more tears she was going to shed. She missed her family and friends more than she thought. This idea only made her cry even more.

When she had exhausted her supply of tears, she stood up and walked out of the room. She really needed to do something. She was bored.

Bankotsu wasn't in the palace. He had gone out hunting some time ago. So, Kagome had the palace and grounds to herself. She decided to explore a bit. Maybe she could learn a thing or two about the people who had lived here before?

She began walking around the palace, opening random doors and peeking inside. Most of the rooms were just that: rooms. She did find what looked to be an altar area and assumed there must have been a priest or monk living here at one point. When she came upon the weaponry, she halted.

There, sitting in a corner, were her bow and quiver of arrows. Her eyes widened. Though they were covered in a layer of dust, they did not look damaged in any way. She took a step towards them before she heard the main gate open.

Quickly, she stepped out of the weaponry and closed the door. She ran as fast as she could away from it in hopes Bankotsu wouldn't see her. If he knew what she had found, he may do something to her or threaten her in some way.

She stopped in the courtyard and met his gaze. She could see the curiosity in his eyes and knew she had to think fast. If he had any idea of where she had been…

She flashed him a brilliant smile and ran up to him, throwing her arms around his neck. "I'm so glad you're home," she said, breathlessly.

He returned her smile and kissed her softly on the lips. "You missed me that much?" he asked.

The past four months had taught her how to keep him occupied and distracted. Grant it, this wasn't always a good thing, for he had a habit of distracting her as well, but it would keep him from asking her questions she did not wish to answer.

She rubbed a hand over his chest and tried not to think about how hard his chest was. The smell of blood hit her nose like a ton of bricks and she frowned.

He looked at her curiously as her eyes drifted to the deer he had killed. The smell of blood was strong and it was making her sick. She pulled away from him. "Oh god!" she said.

There was no time to run to the balcony or even to the pit toilet, but she did manage to break away from him and move off to the side as she vomited.

He dropped the deer and went to her to pull her hair back. "You've been sick an awful lot lately," he commented.

She did not look at him as tears rolled down her eyes. "I'm fine," she told him. "Just… just get that thing away from me."

She saw out the corner of her eye as he stood up and picked up the deer. She waited for him to leave before she sat on the ground. Blood still flooded her nostrils and she willed it to go away. What was happening to her?

She fell into another fit of tears, unable to understand what was going on.


	12. Chapter 11

Kagome kissed Bankotsu lightly on the lips as she pressed herself against his chest. "Be safe out there," she told him.

He nodded as he wrapped an arm around her waist and squeezed her closer to him. He bent his head and gave her a deeper kiss. He smiled as he pulled away from her. "I will be, my little miko," he promised. "Don't you worry your pretty little head."

She giggled as he walked away from her and towards the entrance. When he turned to glance at her, she waved at him and her bright smile danced across her face. "Good luck! Hurry home!"

She waited until he had walked through the entrance and into the wild. She waited for the doors to slam shut. Once they were, she dashed across the palace grounds and into the room she knew kept her bag. She did not stop there, though. She grabbed her bag and ran into the weaponry and grabbed her bow and an arrow and a knife. She only had so much time.

Running into her bedroom, she dropped the bow and arrow to the ground as she plopped her bag onto the bed. Pen and paper is what she needed. Once she managed to dig out her notebook and a pen, she sat on the ground and thought about what she was going to write.

There was no guarantee the message would get to Inuyasha. In fact, knowing her luck, it would fall right into Naraku's hands. She had to think about it and choose her words carefully.

Finally deciding what to write, she began putting pen to paper.

"_To whomever gets this,_

_My name is Higurashi Kagome. I am in a castle near the top of the mountain. Please, if you can, find a half demon named Inuyasha and give him this message. Tell him I am all right, but to come for me. I am in this palace surrounded by a huge forest. There is no way for me to get out. Please. Help me._

_Kagome_"

She read over the words and, satisfied, she went to her next task. Grabbing a piece of hair near the base of her neck, she wrapped it around the knife and cut the hair off. She tied the hair near the tip of the arrow and pierced her note with the arrow.

She grabbed her bow and, standing up, accidentally tripped over her yellow bag. The contents of the bag spilled out, including her supply of feminine hygiene products. She checked her bow and arrow to make sure everything was still intact before standing up and dusting herself off. She glanced only briefly at her stash of pads and tampons before ignoring them and running to the balcony.

She took a moment to search for the spot that was the edge of the forest. Raising her bow and arrow, she pointed at the spot, but then made a last minute decision and overshot her target. She watched as the arrow disappeared into the sky and prayed it would reach Inuyasha.

"What the fuck did you just do?!" Bankotsu's voice boomed as he entered the bedroom.

Kagome gasped as she turned to see him. He made it to the balcony in quick strides and grabbed her by her hair.

"Answer my question, you little bitch!" he snarled. "What the _fuck_ did you just do?"

She dropped her bow and grabbed at his hand. Tears spilled from her eyes. "Bankotsu!" she gasped as he pulled ruthlessly on her hair.

"That's not a fucking answer!" he growled as he dragged her into the bedroom and threw her on the bed. "Where did you send that fucking arrow?"

She panted for breath as she looked around the room. Her eyes fell onto her tampons. Tampons… It's been ages since she's had to use those… Wait…

Bankotsu grabbed her by the neck and hurled her into the air. Kagome grasped at the hand around her neck. "Answer me!" he bellowed.

"I… I… c-c-can't…"

He released his hold and she fell onto the bed, coughing. He began to untie his obi. "I will not say it again," he warned.

Still panting, she looked up at him. "I… I think I'm… pregnant," she gasped.

Bankotsu froze momentarily before his expression hardened again. "Bullshit! Don't change the fucking subject. Where did you send that fucking arrow?"

She glared at him. "With any luck," she spat, "it went straight to Inuyasha!"

His eyes widened in his anger as he grabbed the back of her head again and pulled her hair so she was forced to look into his eyes. "I'll fucking kill you, you little bitch! After everything I fucking gave you, you're going to send love notes to that fucking asshole? He doesn't give a shit about you, Kagome! If he did, he would have been here by now instead of dicking around."

In her heart, she knew he was lying. He had to be. Inuyasha loved her. He was going to find her. "Maybe if you hadn't hidden our trail…"

He threw her away from him and she hit the wall. "Don't use that fucking line," he growled. "Think about it, bitch. You really think a little smoke is going to conceal your scent for _four_ fucking months? All he had to do was go back to that fucking well a week later and he would have been able to pick up your trail. He didn't. Instead, he and his little friends are wandering around out there with their thumbs up their asses."

A week… Bankotsu's words echoed in her mind. One week and he could have found her easily.

Her eyes widened as he approached her. This was the Bankotsu she knew four months ago, not the guy she was growing to care about. Fearful, she tried to move away from him. He grabbed her arm and pulled her closer to him.

Grabbing her other arm, he forced both arms behind her back and tied them together with his obi. Once secured, he grabbed her hips and positioned himself at her entrance.

**Author's Note: Edited for content.**

As he pulled out of her, he released her hair and she fell onto the bed, sobbing. After a few minutes, she felt him untie the obi and pull her into his embrace. He massaged her head and kissed her hair.

"I am so sorry," he whispered as she sobbed into his chest. "I didn't want to hurt you. I _don't_ want to hurt you. I am so, so sorry, my little miko. It just… It makes me so angry when you think about another man."

He gently pushed her shoulders a little away from him so she could look into his eyes. She could see the pain and regret in his eyes as he stared into hers. Despite what had just happened, Kagome felt her heart flutter. "W-why?" she whispered.

He shook his head and pushed some of her hair out of her face with his hand. "I guess I'm the jealous type," he assumed. "I don't like the thought of someone I care about thinking of another man. I want you, Kagome. You are my life and I can't imagine you in the arms of another man."

She glanced down at their laps. "I wasn't lying to you earlier," she whispered. "I really do think I may be pregnant."

Bankotsu sighed. "That's not possible."

She looked up into his face and saw his eyes closed with a pained expression. She waited patiently for him to continue, but when he didn't seem to say anything more, she decided to asked, "Why do you say that? We have had sex on numerous occasions. We haven't used any form of protection and…"

"I'm a dead man, Kagome," he stated as he opened his cobalt eyes and stared at her. "Look at me. The only reason I am even here right now is because of these jewel shards. I'm not capable…"

"And yet you've ejaculated so many times," she pointed out.

"Kagome…"

She placed her fingertips on his lips to stop him. "I'm just doing the math, Bankotsu," she told him. "I haven't had my cycle since I've been here, which has been about four months now. A woman is supposed to cycle _every_ month. On top of that, I get sick over the smallest of things and I start crying for no reason at all. And I'm hungry… _all_ the time."

He seemed to think over what she was saying. "You did eat more deer than usual," he commented. "And you've been putting on some weight…"

She gave him an indignant look as she shouted, "Are you calling me _fat_?"

He held up his hands in surrender. "No, no, I'm not," he replied. "I was just saying…"

"That I put on some weight," she snapped. "Which is the same thing as calling me _fat_."

Bankotsu glared at her. "Look, woman, if I thought you were fat, I would tell you. Besides, I thought pregnant women are supposed to gain some weight. I was just adding that to your list of symptoms, that's all."

Kagome sighed as she looked away from him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap. I just…" She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and continued, "Being pregnant right now is not a good idea. The only thing that matters is finding a way to defeat Naraku. If I confront him while I'm pregnant…"

Bankotsu pushed some hair out of her face, and then asked gently, "What was on that arrow you sent?"

Kagome glanced up at him and gave him a sad look. "I wanted the others to know that I was ok. So, I sent them a clue."

* * *

Sesshomaru stopped and stared down at the arrow. It had landed right in front of him, its tip buried in the dirt. There was a note and bit of hair attached to it. He glanced up in the direction the arrow came, but did not see anyone.

Bending down, he pulled it out of the ground and slipped the letter off. He could smell Inuyasha's wench as clearly as if she had just sent it. As he read the letter, his eyes widened ever so slightly. So, it was her then.

"M'lord," came Rin's voice from behind him. "What is it, my lord?"

Sesshomaru stood up. His brother wasn't far from them, so it shouldn't be difficult to reach him. Though he hated the thought of helping his brother out, Sesshomaru could hear the girl's pleading voice. Besides, the girl's scent was tainted with something else.

The demon smirked, causing Jaken to gasp and begin trembling in fear. It would be nice to see Inuyasha become upset by this other smell.

* * *

Bankotsu pulled back the yukata and placed a hand on Kagome's bare stomach. He gently felt around her stomach with his fingers. He really had no idea what he was doing and did not know what he was looking for as he felt around.

He stopped moving his hand and looked down at the woman. "I'm not a doctor," he admitted. "I… I guess you could be pregnant?"

She sat up and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Bankotsu," she muttered.

He looked up into her blue eyes. "The people in your world," he asked, "they know about this sort of stuff, right? You have all these medicines that work better and faster and they're from your world. Are there midwives there as well?"

She shook her head. "We don't use midwives anymore," she told him. "Many of our doctors are trained in handling childbirth and already know how to handle it."

He growled, "I won't have another man touch you."

"There won't be another man," she assured him. "There are women doctors, too. And honestly, I prefer a woman doctor."

He nodded. As a thought occurred to him, Bankotsu smirked. "Now that you're pregnant, you do know what this means, right?"

She looked at him and shook her head. The mercenary could not have planned it out better if he had tried. A malicious gleam flashed in his eyes. "Once you have this baby, Kagome, we'll be married."

She gasped as she yanked her hand off his shoulder as though she had been bitten. Realization dawned on her. "You're still looking for revenge against Inuyasha, aren't you?" she accused.

He shrugged. "Why not?" he asked. "He killed my brethren. No doubt he has killed Renkotsu and Jakotsu. It is only fitting that I avenge my brothers."

Kagome sighed hopelessly. "Do you really want our child to come into this world with revenge in the air?"

"Assuming said child will be able to come into this world at all, you mean?"

The miko gasped. "If I truly am pregnant…"

"There's the rub, though," Bankotsu pointed out as he sat on the bed beside her and leaned against the wall. "I already told you. I'm dead. You think you may be pregnant because you're experiencing the symptoms of pregnancy, but we don't have a midwife or doctor to confirm your suspicions. If you are pregnant, then there's a possibility that the child could be a miscarriage or born dead. After all, I'm dead. I don't know that I can produce live semen, which is what you'd need to have a live child. Correct me if I'm wrong."

He watched out of the corner of his eye as Kagome thought about this. Her being pregnant by him would be the greatest revenge he never thought of. If she were to actually give birth to a live child, that would just be icing on the cake, so to speak. A live child would mean Kagome was, by all means, legally tied to Bankotsu. She would be his wife.*

After a moment of silence, Kagome finally responded to his accusations. "If I am, indeed, pregnant, then you would have to be able to produce live semen. If I remember my reproduction class correctly, it only takes one sperm to fertilize an egg. Once that one sperm has carried out its task, all the other sperm die. So, if your sperm were already dead, they wouldn't be able to fertilize any of my eggs. So there would have to be at least one live sperm there somewhere."

Sperm? Egg? What was she talking about? He stared at her for a moment before a question managed to form on his lips. "They actually teach you these things?" he asked.

She glanced at him and nodded. "Not all schools teach us about reproduction, but many high schools do. There's also a sexual education class for students who are a bit older. They teach all about sexually transmitted diseases and how to protect against pregnancy."

"And how do you protect against pregnancy? Aside from not having sex, that is," he questioned, dubiously.

She shrugged. "There's condoms and birth control pills," she answered. "Some women get this thing put in their uterus and some get a shot."

His eyes widened and she laughed. "People are a lot more liberal in my time," she explained. "Those outfits that you've seen me wear are nothing compared to what some people wear."

He nodded slowly and then jumped as he heard the gate open. Grabbing his Banryu, he approached the bedroom door. "Stay here," he ordered the miko.

* * *

Koga had decided to travel with the small group of misfits for a while. He knew he could probably cover more ground on his own, but they seemed to have more luck in finding clues. _If_ they could find any clues, that was.

He and Inuyasha stopped at the same time. Inuyasha growled as he placed a hand on the hilt of his sword.

"What is it?" Sango asked, making sure to stay far enough away from Inuyasha in case he needed to draw his sword.

"Sesshomaru," was his answer and the two humans took a defensive stance.

The great demon appeared to them from the sky in the form of a ball. As he got closer to the ground, he transformed into his humanoid form and lightly landed in front of them. "Is that any way to greet your older brother, Inuyasha?" he taunted.

The hanyou's eyes narrowed as he glared at the dog demon. "What do you want, Sesshomaru? I don't have the time to fight you."

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. "Indeed," he commented. "You seem to be missing someone from your party. Where's the little miko girl that follows you around like a pup?"

Inuyasha's growl increased and was joined by a growl from Koga, but Sesshomaru merely shook his head. The demon lord glanced at Miroku.

"You, monk," he said. "I have a message for you."

Miroku hesitated. He stared at Sesshomaru for a moment, but could not see any ulterior motive. Indeed, the monk noticed the demon was holding a scroll in his hand. "Stand down, Inuyasha," Miroku said as he approached the demon lord.

Sesshomaru gave the scroll to the monk before pulling an arrow out of his obi. He handed the arrow to the monk as well. "I will not deliver any more messages to you, so you better pay attention to what it says."

With that, the dog demon turned back into a ball and flew away. Miroku stared at the scroll and arrow in his hands. He knew his companions were gathering around him and he handed the arrow to Sango. The arrow had a lock of black hair tied to it.

"Could this be?" she dared to ask.

Miroku opened the scroll and read it. As he did so, his eyes widened and a look of relief and elation filled his features. Inuyasha read the scroll over Miroku's shoulders.

"Kagome!" the hanyou shouted. He turned to take the arrow from Sango, but Koga already had it.

The wolf was sniffing at the bit of hair. "It's Kagome, all right," he confirmed. "It smells like the eastern mountains. Maybe close to the ocean."

Miroku rolled up the piece of paper, which wasn't a scroll at all, but torn loose leaf from one of Kagome's notebooks, and tucked it into his robes and nodded. "Then, we will head to the east," he stated.

Inuyasha and Koga were already gone, however, both running to the east. Miroku glanced at Sango.

"Kirara!" the demon slayer called.

As though already knowing her command, the cat transformed into her larger form and waited for the monk and demon slayer to mount her. Shippo clutched onto Sango's shoulder.

With this _very_ helpful clue from Kagome, the friends headed east.

* * *

**Author's Note:** To explain the little *: According to the research I've done about marital practices in Feudal Japan, it was customary for the bridegroom to spend the night at the bride's home until either his parents died OR she gave birth to their first child. Once either of these happened, the couple were considered married. Well, Bankotsu's parents are already dead, or at least we can assume they are. However, I kinds like the "childbirth = marriage" approach, so I'm going with that.

Also, I know the whole "edited" thing is a bit annoying, but I really am trying to comply with the rules of this site. That's why I keep editing it so much. I don't want anyone accusing me of not following the rules.


	13. Chapter 12

Bankotsu lowered his sword as he walked into the courtyard. He watched as Renkotsu struggled to get the gate closed. The older man caught sight of the younger man.

"Big Brother," Renkotsu greeted. "Could you help me with this thing?"

Bankotsu shrugged, stabbed his halberd into the ground and rested an arm on it. "I could," he said with a yawn.

When the older mercenary saw that his leader was making no effort to move, he became angry. "Well, don't just stand there," he spat. "Help me out!"

The younger man raised an eyebrow. "Since when did you decide to order _me_ around?" he asked. Then, he added, "Where's Jakotsu?"

The man grunted as he finally pushed the gate into place. He leaned against it and panted. He did not bother to look at his leader when he answered, "We met with that half breed and he nearly killed us both. I managed to get away, but I'm afraid our comrade perished."

"Bankotsu," Kagome said softly, drawing both of the men's attention as she approached the young mercenary.

His eyes narrowed as he glared at her. "I thought I told you to stay in our room," he growled.

Kagome nodded, though her eyes wandered to Renkotsu. She gasped and turned her attention back to the younger man. "Bankotsu," she started to warn.

The young leader backhanded her across the face. "Go back to the room and stay there until I tell you otherwise!" he snarled. "And if you disobey me again, I'll chain you up and throw you back in the dungeon."

The two mercenaries watched as the girl stumbled back into the castle. Once she was gone, Renkotsu commented, "Don't you think she's been here long enough, Big Brother? Isn't it time to get rid of her?"

Bankotsu yanked his sword out of the ground and pointed it threateningly at the other mercenary. "If you question my judgment one more time, I will cut out your tongue," he snapped. He lowered his weapon and sighed. "It's just you and me now, Renkotsu. Take some time and rest. Make sure you've restocked and are ready. We move out in the morning."

Renkotsu raised his eyebrows. "The girl?"

"You let me worry about the girl," the younger man said with a snort. "You just worry about yourself."

* * *

Kagome paced the length of the floor nervously. She twiddled her fingers. Having been around Bankotsu for so long, she had forgotten that she had the ability to sense jewel shards. She got used to seeing his jewel shards and just never paid much attention to them. After all, they were what kept him alive and she liked him being alive.

When he entered the bedroom, Kagome dropped her hands and ran to him. She threw her arms around his neck only to have him yank her arms away from him and throw her on the bed.

"Don't you ever disobey me like that again," he growled, "especially in front of my men. I give you an order and you follow it unless I say otherwise."

She gasped as she sat up. "I'm sorry," she quickly apologized. "I wouldn't have done it to begin with, except…"

He glared at her. "Except what?"

She took a deep breath to calm herself before meeting his cobalt eyes. "I don't think Renkotsu's telling you the full truth," she told him. "When you left, I sensed the presence of the jewel shard, but not just the one… I think he may have Jakotsu's shard as well."

That seemed to calm him down a bit as he joined her on the bed. His eyes closed and he looked… betrayed. Maybe even hurt. Kagome timidly placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

Bankotsu sighed. "I've always suspected Renkotsu would resort to treachery. It just pains me to think… Jakotsu was my best friend. We did just about everything together. Hell, he was the one who helped me form this band. Sure he was as queer as they come, but he was still a great guy. He listened to me when I needed someone to talk to and followed my orders without question."

Kagome drew him into her embrace while he mourned the loss of his friend. Grant it, she did not agree that Jakotsu was a "great guy," but she could see why Bankotsu would be so close with the murderous homosexual. Regardless of her own, personal thoughts of Jakotsu, it was obvious that the two men had been close.

Bankotsu let her hold him for a little while, relishing the feel of her soft bosom against his cheek. Sure he was upset about Jakotsu's death, but not as much as he let on. If anything, he was more angry with Renkotsu and his betrayal. However, he liked that she had becoming so accepting of him. A month ago, he wouldn't have even attempted to rest his head on her breasts, especially not in such a relaxed manner.

Bankotsu lifted his head and pressed his lips against Kagome's. For someone as hard and harsh as him, Kagome was always amazed by how soft his lips were. She sighed, allowing his tongue to slip into her mouth. Their tongues met briefly before his tongue began exploring the contours of her mouth. As he deepened the kiss, he pulled her flesh against him and cupped her breast with his hand.

**Edited for content.**

They rested for a while as Bankotsu began gathering his thoughts and going over what had just happened in his mind. After four months of constant work, he had finally managed to convince her to give in to him. _More than that_, he thought as he glanced at her sleeping form. If he didn't know better, she had become loyal to him. Maybe even to the point of loving him.

He sneered at the idea. The last thing he wanted, or needed, was for her to fall in love with him. But then, he thought with a smirk, that could work even more to his advantage. If she had fallen in love with him, then that meant she had fallen _out _of love with Inuyasha. The half breed wouldn't know what hit him. That a human, no even worse, _a specter_, had managed to steal her heart would tear away at the hanyou's emotions. It was more than Bankotsu could have asked for.

He shook his head again. Even that much wasn't the icing on the cake. It wasn't enough that Kagome may have fallen in love with him or that she gave him amazing sex. If she were correct in her assumption, then Kagome was pregnant with Bankotsu's child. In a few short months, she would give birth to that child and then Kagome and Bankotsu would be married. And there was nothing the half breed could do about it.

It was a sobering thought as Bankotsu watched his woman sleep peacefully beside him. Then, he remembered Renkotsu and the job that was before him.

Bankotsu sighed as he sat up. If he were lucky, he would live through the next few confrontations and he and Kagome could spend the rest of their lives together in marital bliss. But he doubted that would be the case. Renkotsu and Inuyasha weren't the only ones who were after Bankotsu's head. Even more, the only things keeping Bankotsu alive at all were the shards of the Shikon jewel.

He closed his eyes and gave a single nod. There was no help for it. He touched Kagome's shoulder and gently nudged her. "Hey," he said.

She moaned softly as her eyes fluttered open. She gazed at Bankotsu and smiled. "Hey," she breathed back.

He gave her a half smile. "I need you to sit up, my little miko. We need to talk," he told her.

The seriousness in his voice alarmed her as she moved to do as he asked. She wondered if she had done anything wrong before remembering the scene in the courtyard. "I'm so sorry," she said looking down at her lap.

His eyebrows furrowed. "For what?"

She heaved a big sigh. "For earlier. I shouldn't have gone out there. You told me to stay here and…"

He placed his fingers gently over her lip and hushed her. He tilted her chin up so he could look her in the eyes as he said, "I'm not worried about that anymore. So long as you understand what you did was wrong, everything's fine now."

She nodded as he released her. She looked at him curiously. "What did you want to talk about?" she asked.

"Tomorrow we will start our trek down the mountain," he told her. "I want you to listen carefully to what I tell you, Kagome, because it could very well mean the difference between your life and your death."

Her eyes widened and she nodded in understanding. She waited for him to continue.

"Renkotsu knows that you can see the shards," he said softly. "This much I'm sure of. However he doesn't know about the baby… And I don't want him to. He's a traitor and if he learns of our… impending marriage, he may try to use that against me. I know for a fact he all ready wants you dead. He does not need more information to support his desire."

"You're not afraid of him, are you?" she asked.

Bankotsu scoffed. "Hell, no," he sneered. His face softened as he continued, "But I don't need to worry about your safety from him. As far as he knows, you're just a pawn to torment Inuyasha and I want to keep it that way.

"The edge of the forest is at the base of this mountain. When we get to it, I will give you your transportation and return all of your belongings to you. I want you to head south as quickly as you can. That's where Edo is. With any luck, you'll run into your friends."

"You're letting me go," she surmised. At his nod, she asked, "Do you think Inuyasha will stop hunting for you when he sees me? Is that what you want?"

The mercenary smirked. "No," he replied. "If anything, seeing you will make him want my blood even more. And I'm counting on it. Naraku gave me a mission at the beginning of all of this. I was to lure Inuyasha and Koga into a trap at Mount Hakurei. I still intend to go through with it and I expect you to mention the mountain to them."

"Why would I lead them there?"

"Because that's where Naraku's currently hiding," he answered with a smirk. "Somehow I doubt he's moved his location."

Kagome nodded in understanding. "You're supposed to protect him from us," she observed. "Why do you still want to help him? He's a monster. He's just using you and, once he's done, he'll take back those shards and…"

He stopped her again. "I know," he whispered as he kissed her forehead. "It's ok."

Tears filled Kagome's eyes as she realized what he was telling her. She shook her head in denial. "No. No, you can't. I won't let this happen to you. I won't let you do this to yourself."

He snapped his head back and looked at her in surprise. "Won't _let_ me?" he repeated. "Who said you had a choice? Whether I help Naraku or not, I'm still a dead man. And we both know he's going to get the shards no matter what you try to do."

Kagome shook her head again and closed her eyes, trying to fight back the tears. "We can save you. I'll find a way. You'll become human again. You'll…"

He grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Look at me!" he ordered in a low growl. When she opened her eyes and looked at him, he continued, "Stop this. Don't you dare cry over me, miko. You're number one priority is to defeat Naraku. I'm just an obstacle in that path. I died a long time ago."

"But… the baby," she cried as tears spilled from her eyes. "Our baby needs a father, Bankotsu, and…"

"You'll have to find someone else for that job," he interrupted. "Find some human guy in your time. Don't stay here. This world we are in now is not suited for children."

The miko sobbed, "I don't want another guy. I want you!"

He pulled her into an embrace as he tried to quiet her tears. He did not need Renkotsu hearing her sobs and checking on them. He had wanted to hear those words from her mouth for months now. While he was glad she was finally saying them, she could not have worse timing. He needed to give her instructions and get her prepared for what was out there.

"Once you've returned to Edo, go back to your time and have the baby," he whispered between the hushing sounds he made. "If you must return to defeat Naraku, leave the child with your mother in the meantime. Kagome, I am counting on you to protect our unborn child."

He heard her draw in a shaky breath, but did not allow her to speak as he continued. "If you don't wish to find another guy, that's fine. To be honest, I don't _want_ you to have another man in your life. The birth of this child makes no difference to me. As far as I'm concerned, we are married."

He broke their embrace and held her shoulders so he could look at her. Cupping her cheeks, he wiped her tears with his thumbs. "You are my wife, Kagome," he whispered to her. "Don't forget. You belong to me. You will always be mine."

She lifted a hand to touch his cheek as well and closed her eyes. She did not understand what was happening to her. _Why_ it was happening to her. Why couldn't she have him? Why must they be parted?

Deep down, she knew the answers to these questions, but she didn't want to admit it. What had started out as a kidnapping had turned into something much, much more. What she and Bankotsu shared was special and she didn't want it to end. She didn't want him to go. He was going to be a father and she wanted him to see his baby, to hold his child.

"In the morning, we will get your bag and I'll let you change into your school uniform," he told her.

An idea struck her in that moment. "My bag!" she whispered.

He looked at her curiously as she sat up. She turned her attention to him. "I need my bag," she told him. "There's something in there… A camera. If I cannot have you with me, if you cannot be there for the birth of our child, to help me raise him or her, the least we can have is a photo of you."

He stared at her. He knew what a camera was because she had explained the item to him. There had been a picture of one in one of her books. But there wasn't a camera in her bag. He would have noticed it. "Kagome, I didn't see a camera in your bag."

She shook her head. "You wouldn't have. Cameras look a lot different these days… well, in the time I live. They're smaller and more compact."

"And why do you have one?"

Kagome smiled. "My mother wanted to see what my friends in this era looked like. And I wanted to take pictures of the land and mountains in this era. My homeland is now covered in cities with buildings instead of trees and electricity instead of stars. Tokyo is one of the largest cities in the world."

He nodded and thought about it. A picture of him would be a constant reminder to her of who she belonged to. It would also work to further goad Inuyasha even after Bankotsu's death. It was a way for him to stay in her life forever.

"Very well," he said tiredly. "Come. We'll go get your bag together."

She smiled as the two of them got out of the bed and went to retrieve her bag. As Bankotsu walked in front of the miko, an evil smile played on his lips. He could see Inuyasha's face as she lovingly caressed a picture of the mercenary. Vengeance was so sweet.


	14. Chapter 13

When they reentered their room, Kagome ran to the bed, threw her backpack onto it, and knelt on the bed. She opened one of the front pockets and pulled out a slim pink camera. Opening the main part of the bag, she managed to dig out her tripod.

"On a good note," she commented as she checked the camera's battery life, "my memory card is new, so we won't run out of room anytime soon."

As Kagome prepared her camera, Bankotsu walked around the room and lit candles. It was a bit dark and he wanted to make certain her pictures looked good. "Did you want me to take my haori off?" he asked as he walked around the room.

Kagome gasped. "Why would you need to do that? This picture is for the baby, right? I think showing off your chest would be a bit… inappropriate."

He chuckled as he approached her from behind and slipped his hands around her waist. "But what about you?"

"What about me?" she asked as she closed his eyes and leaned back against him.

He smiled as he nuzzled her hair. "Don't you want a picture or two to remember me by? Certainly one with my clothes _on_ wouldn't do you a whole lot of good," he whispered as he rubbed her ear with the tip of his nose.

She gasped when she felt the tip of his tongue lick the shell of her ear. She quickly broke free of him and turned around to face him. "Maybe _after _I get a few pictures of you fully clothed for the baby."

He shrugged. "Fair enough," he stated. "Where would you like me to stand?"

She glanced around. Even with the candles, the room was a bit dark. Perhaps she should have thought of this when there was still daylight. There was nothing for it now, she supposed.

Kagome grabbed one of the tall candle holders and dragged it across the room. "If we could get a spot surrounded in light, that would work best," she explained with a grunt.

Bankotsu grabbed another one of the tall candle holders and easily moved it to a spot that seemed to have the most light. Then he turned to the miko and shook his head. Walking up to her, he gently lifted the candle holder out of her hands and moved it to stand next to the other one.

"Show off," she huffed, though teasingly.

The mercenary smirked. "Where should I stand?" he asked again.

She snapped her fingers as though suddenly remembering what they were doing. Taking his hand, she led him to the center of the light. He watched her as she straightened his haori and fixed his obi. Reaching up, she teased his bangs with her fingers a bit, letting his tattoo only be a little covered by them.

She took a step back to admire her handiwork for a moment. Her lips pinched together and her eyebrows furrowed. "Maybe we should take one of you like that and one with your braid resting over your shoulder," she said, more to herself than to him.

"Whatever you desire, my little miko," he responded.

She nodded. "Now, puff out your chest just a little bit. No, that's too much. There. Just like that. Clasp your hands in front of you in an at ease position. Just like that," she smiled and lifted the camera to her face. "Smile!"

He gave a soft smile as she snapped the picture and was immediately blinded by a flash of light. Raising his hand to cover his eyes, he snarled, "What the hell was that?"

Kagome covered her mouth with her fingertips and gasped. "Oh, I'm so sorry," she said quickly. "I forgot about the flash."

Bankotsu rubbed at his eyes as he tried to blink the white dots out of them. "Was that some kind of attempt to fucking blind me?" he growled.

Kagome shook her head as she approached him. "They'll go away in a moment, I promise," she said as she placed a hand on his arm.

It took a few minutes to calm him down, but she was able to convince him that everything would be ok. "Trust me. You'll get used to it after a while," she assured him.

Once he was calm, she repositioned him for the second pose and gently placed his long braid over his shoulder. She gazed at the braid for a moment and absentmindedly ran her fingers down its length. It really was a nice braid. Then again, he had nice hair. Touching it brought memories of his unbraided hair cascading over his bare shoulders as he bathed. A soft blush coloured her cheeks as she felt the room start to get warmer.

Bankotsu had been watching her. His eyes softened as he saw her lust and desire start to fill her gaze. He smirked. He enjoyed seeing how easily she became hot and bothered by him. Now, if only he could convince her to take some pictures of him in the nude…

"Kagome," he whispered, touching her shoulder.

She gasped and shook her head. She blinked as she came back to the present. Taking a step back, she said, "Ok, now do what you did before. And smile!"

She snapped another picture of him. He blinked away the white spots from his eyes and looked at her. "It's a shame we cannot take a picture together," he commented.

She looked at him curiously before he elaborated, "I'm sure our child would like to see a picture of us together. Perhaps showing him or her that we really care about one another. That we're… happy together."

She thought about it for a moment. His idea was sound enough and it made sense. "I have my tripod," she told him. "I could set that up and put the camera on a timer."

"A timer?"

She nodded. "Basically, I can set the camera to a ten second delay then press the shutter release. Once those ten seconds are done, the camera will take the picture as though I had just pressed the shutter release."

He nodded slowly; though it was obvious he had no clue as to what she was talking about. She smiled. "Here, I'll show you," she said as she went to get the tripod.

He watched as she set it up. His eyes widened as she pulled on the contraptions legs and they seemed to stretch, making the thing much taller than it was before. "How did you… What the hell is that thing?"

Kagome did not look at him as she continued to set it up. She shrugged nonchalantly. "It's called a tripod," she explained. "It's a… well, a portable shelf, for lack of a better word. It holds your camera so you can take pictures without holding the camera yourself… Works really well if you're taking a group photo and you want to be in the picture."

Once she had it set up, she raced back to Bankotsu and turned towards the camera. It took about three shots before Bankotsu got the idea behind the tripod. Once he did, he smirked and decided to help her create some poses. "You want our child to see us happy, right?" he suggested as the camera went off for the fourth time.

Shot after shot of him holding her, them kissing, and even one of him behind her with his hands resting on her stomach was caught by the camera. Kagome even managed to get a picture of her with her arms wrapping loosely around his neck from behind. When they finished, the young couple was laughing.

As Kagome began closing the tripod, Bankotsu picked up the pink camera. He studied it for a moment and accidentally took a picture of the floor in the process. His previous idea of taking his haori off came back to his mind and he smirked. Now would be the perfect opportunity to take such pictures.

"Did you get all the pictures you wanted?" he asked as he untucked his haori.

She nodded and turned to look at him. Her eyes widened as they fell upon his bare chest. "What are you doing?" she inquired nervously.

He let the haori fall to the floor as he approached her and handed her the camera. "You said after we took those pictures, you'd take some pictures of my chest. For yourself, of course," he reminded her.

Her breath caught in her throat and she stammered, "I-I said maybe."

Bankotsu sighed as he let his eyes fall to her shoulders. He gently swept a finger across her shoulder. He knew she wouldn't be able to resist him. "In a few short days or so," he whispered, "I'll be gone. There won't even be a body left to bury. All of your memories of me will be confined to these pictures. In this time period, you wouldn't even have that much, but by the technology of your time, you do. Don't you want to be able to look back and see the flesh of the man you fell in love with?"

She pinched her lips and frowned. "I will be able to see the man I fell in love with," she argued. "I have pictures of you."

Hearing her say she was in love with him made Bankotsu's mind soar with victory. "As what? Some warrior? A few pictures of you being kissed by said warrior? What about the passion, Kagome? The fire? That will only be in your memories. If you take some photos of me…"

"It would be torture," she whispered. "I don't… I can't…"

He pressed the camera into her hands and pulled her into an embrace. He laid his cheek against the top of her head and held her for a moment, letting her feel his warm flesh against her body. "Imagine," he muttered, "what it would be like without the pictures. All you would have is memories and those fade with time. There may even come a day when you forget the pleasures you and I have shared."

She sniffed as her cheek rested against his bare chest. "I could never forget you, Bankotsu," she said.

He stared at the wall and his eyes hardened. He wanted her to take the damn pictures. Now that he knew what pictures were and understood the significance of them, he wanted her to have them. A sensual picture of him would be a constant reminder of what they had. And it wouldn't be just a reminder to her. He had no doubt in his mind that Inuyasha would catch a glimpse of those pictures at one point or another.

He kept his body as calm as he could. Closing his eyes, he willed them to soften. He did not need her thinking he was forcing these pictures. He wanted her to take them of her own free will.

Pulling away from her slightly, he took her hands into his and glanced at them. Finding the little button on the camera that said "on," he pressed it. "One picture," he suggested. "One picture that you can keep under your pillow at night. That way… I'll always be with you."

To his surprise, that seemed to work. She nodded and took a few steps back. Urging him back into the candlelight, she raised the camera to take the picture. Smirking, he flexed his muscles. She gasped as the camera took the picture. Looking up at him, she bit her bottom lip.

"Could you turn a bit away from me?" she asked.

Tilting his head in curiosity, he did as she requested. She took another picture. He smirked some more. "Would you like me to take off my obi?" he questioned as he began untying the obi.

He saw her take a gulp before snapping another shot. Letting the obi fall to the ground, he held his hakama in place. She took another picture. He released his hakama. She took another picture. The hakama followed the obi to the floor. Holding her breath, she took another picture.

His eyes flashed lustfully as he took hold of his penis. She took another picture. He smirked as he rubbed his penis to erection. She took another picture. He moved so he was facing her completely and locked his hands behind his back. She took another picture.

Dropping his hands to his side, he approached her like a panther approached its prey. He slipped a hand around her waist and tugged her up against his body. "Apparently you like taking pictures of me, my little miko," he observed, his voice low and husky.

"I…" she stammered. "I don't see the harm… It's not like… It's not like others… will-will see them anyway."

He gave her a lusty smile and moved to the bed. "Perhaps you should set up that tripod again and take some pictures of us having sex?" he suggested.

She shook her head. "I already know what my body looks like," she pointed out. "I won't be missing that."

He chuckled as he lay down on the bed. "Very well," he concurred. "Perhaps some pictures of me lying down?"

She nodded and took one of him on the bed. He turned and propped his head up with his hand. She took another picture. He patted the bed.

She turned off the camera and placed it back in her bag before joining him in the bed. As she moved to lie upon the bed, he attacked her mouth with his own. As he cupped her breast, she placed her hand on his to stop him.

His eyes flashed as he broke their kiss and glared at her. "What the hell, Kagome?"

"This is our last night together," she whispered, reaching up to brush some hair out of his eyes.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. Somewhere, deep inside, she _knew_ he did not really care about her. She _knew_ he did not love her and never would. But… "Instead of sex," she requested as she opened her eyes to look at him, "could you… I mean, could _we_ make love?"

Bankotsu's eyes softened as he felt his chest tighten. Make love? He had never made love to anyone. He didn't even know _how_ to make love to someone. He swallowed past an odd lump that had formed in his throat and nodded slowly. There was something in her smile, or maybe in her eyes, that made his stomach flutter.

The air around them seemed to crackle as he cupped her cheek and kissed her. He could immediately tell this kiss was different than the others, but he didn't know how or why. Was this what love felt like?

As she returned his kiss, Bankotsu felt himself become intoxicated. He found that he enjoyed the feeling. He did not move his hand up to grasp at her breast and squeeze it hard. Instead, he gently caressed it. There was no licking or sucking of one another's intimate parts. Instead, there was kissing.

He had no idea what was happening to him. No clue how much his heart was swelling. He was no longer the conquering villain. No longer did he care about revenge or shoving Kagome in Inuyasha's face. All he cared about in that moment was the woman beneath him. Her smile, her kisses, her sweet scent.

When they cried out in joined climax, it did not occur to Bankotsu that the very woman he had been trying to possess had somehow, without knowing it, come to possess him. In that very moment, Bankotsu and Kagome were bound, both heart and soul.

* * *

**Author's Note:** If you got a comment to make about the sex, or lack thereof, please try to refrain from it. The whole point of the scene is that it's not sex. It's love. Not only that, but I wrote the end of this chapter with a heavy heart.

If you can, please take a moment and remember the life of Mr. Michael Clark Duncan. He was a good man from Chicago who started off in Hollywood as a bodyguard. After Notorious B.I.G. passed, Mr. Duncan decided to quit his job and pursue acting. One of his first roles, as Bear in Armageddon, led him to his breakout role as John Caffey, a death row criminal with extraordinary healing abilities, in the Green Mile. He continued his career, landing roles in movies such as the Whole Nine Yards, Planet of the Apes, Brother Bear, and Kung Fu Panda. A few years ago, he gave up meat and became a vegetarian, claiming he's, "never felt healthier."

Michael Clark Duncan passed yesterday, September 3rd, after complications from a heart attack. I am very saddened by this news as he was an incredible person. The world is a much darker place without his megawatt smile.


	15. Chapter 14

Bankotsu smiled as he felt the girl in his arms stir. Opening his eyes, he gazed down at her to see her still sleeping so peacefully. She was so beautiful and he wondered, briefly, how he had gotten so lucky. He pulled her closer to him so he could rest his cheek lovingly atop her head. Good god, how he loved this woman.

That sudden thought caused Bankotsu eyes to fly open and he sat up, consequently dropping her back onto the bed. He held his head in his hand as she woke up. Love? When the hell did this thing become about _love_? He didn't love her. He didn't even _care_ about her. She was just a pawn in his plan to avenge his brothers.

_She's pregnant with my child_, he thought, but quickly dismissed it.

She _thought_ she was pregnant with his child, but he knew better. In order for her to be pregnant, he would have to be able to produce real semen. He hadn't. He was a specter, a ghost. Ghosts did not produce real semen.

_Ghost did not produce semen at all_, a little voice told him, which he promptly ignored. He had to ignore it because if that were the case then…

He shook his head. The sooner they left this castle and sent her on her way, the better. He had much more important things to worry about. He had to focus and figure out what he was going to do about Renkotsu and Inuyasha. The solution to both was simple. He would kill them.

"Are you ok?" Kagome asked as she stretched.

He nodded. "I'm fine. Get dressed. We'll be moving out soon."

As he watched her move about the room, he noticed her stomach was looking… rounder than usual. Almost like she had drank a quart of water. He frowned. Perhaps she was eating too much. Or maybe she was right?

He shook his head again and got out of bed. He did not know when the girl managed to implant herself in his mind, or when he had given her permission to do so. Thinking about her just was not a good thing for him. He had a job to do, as did she. There was no time to think about what might have been between them. Not that there really _was_ anything, he noted to himself.

He purposely did not look at her as he dressed and strapped on his armor. He needed to get away from her and quickly, but he knew if he just left, she would think he was rejecting her. That would not work in his favour.

Sighing, Bankotsu turned his attention to Kagome and saw her brushing her hair. "I'm going to go check on Renkotsu, ok?" he told her.

"Wait!" she said as she shoved her brush into her bag and pulled the bag closed. "I'll go with you."

He frowned. "I don't need a babysitter," he snipped.

She shook her head as she walked past him and opened the bedroom door. "It's not a matter of babysitting," she replied. "If he's ready, then we can go."

Bankotsu hesitated. "And if he's not ready, we could have a few more minutes to ourselves," he pointed out.

She stopped and looked at him. Pain shone in her eyes as she pursed her lips for a moment. "The more time I spend with you, the less I want to let go," she whispered. Looking at the door frame, she continued, "Last night was something I'll never forget. I don't… I _hate_ the thought of losing you, Bankotsu. But I know that's what will happen in the end. I know I shouldn't have these feelings for you, but…"

He approached her and drew her to his chest in an embrace. His heart skipped a beat. "You'll always have me, my little miko," he whispered, nuzzling her hair. "Even when I'm gone… I'll always be with you."

He did not understand why he said the things he said or the sudden ache in his chest. He held her close to him as an urge to not let her go swept through his body, but he knew he had to. Neither of them belonged in this world of war. He had died years ago and she… well, she hadn't even been born yet, technically.

He felt her small body shudder as she sobbed and he was determined to hold her until she stopped. He closed his eyes as tears of his own threatened to escape.

_I am Bankotsu. I am the leader of the Band of Seven. I am strong. I am ruthless. I am a murderer. I enjoy wreaking havoc and destroying innocent lives. I love the feel and smell of blood on my hands. I have killed a thousand men. I will kill a thousand demons. Others fear me._

As he felt her sobs subside, he gently broke away from her. "You're right," he told her. "Let's get Renkotsu and leave this place."

She nodded and followed him out of the room and down the hall.

* * *

The priestess frowned. "You lied to me!" she accused.

The two mercenaries turned and looked at her curiously. "What?" Bankotsu asked.

She pointed to the path that led to the road that led down the mountainside. "You told me there was no way out of here," she snapped. "What would you call that?"

The younger mercenary narrowed his eyes and frowned. "Why the hell would I tell you _this_ existed? You are my captive, not my guest," he sneered. "And if you keep looking at me like that, I'll knock the shit out of you."

She glanced away from him as she continued to follow the two mercenaries. Her heart told her that she wouldn't have to worry about Bankotsu's wrath. He wouldn't ever really hurt her. But Renkotsu was there and he did not know of the things that had transpired between the miko and his leader. He did not know she was with child.

Protecting their unborn child was her first priority at the moment. It had to be. Aside from the few pictures they took, the child would be her only physical evidence that Bankotsu ever existed in her life. Her only evidence that he ever loved her.

Even though he didn't say it, she knew he loved her. He _had_ to. There was no way he could have done what he did the night before if he didn't. She sighed as she pushed her bicycle along the path.

It didn't take them long to reach the bottom of the mountain, which surprised her. Her escape route would have been a lot easier than she thought. She was amazed at the depths of which Bankotsu had lied to her and how much she had believed him. Fear made a person believe almost anything, she supposed.

The two mercenaries stopped near a fork in the road and turned to the miko. Bankotsu approached her and placed a hand on the bicycle. He pointed down one of the paths. "This road should lead to a village nearby," he told her. "They should be able to provide you with shelter for the night and, if you're lucky, an escort back to Edo."

She nodded. "Are the two of you going to Mount Hakurei?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied. "You can tell that half breed that I'll be waiting for him. I've a score to settle with him. I'm sure that'll get his blood boiling."

She frowned as she looked up into his cobalt eyes. "Regardless of how I feel towards you," she said, "you don't actually expect me to lead Inuyasha into danger, do you? I do still care about him immensely."

His eyes hardened and she thought he was going to rebuke her statements. "It doesn't matter," he growled lowly. "Whether you deliver my message to him or not, he'll still come after me. You just make sure his neck is clean."

The miko gasped as he unexpectedly pulled her into a searing kiss. Her bike fell to the ground as she lifted her arms around his neck. One of his hands was buried in her hair while the other held her waist against his body. Kagome opened her mouth, inviting his tongue, and he accepted the invitation greedily.

Just as quickly as he started the kiss, Bankotsu broke it. He gazed into her eyes. "Be safe, my little miko," he whispered.

She fought back her tears as she nodded. "You too," she muttered.

They broke away and the two mercenaries watched as the miko picked up her bicycle and began walking down the path. They watched as she walked away from them. When she got to the fork, before she turned down the path Bankotsu had suggested, she turned to look at the mercenaries one last time.

Renkotsu looked away, as though annoyed by the situation. Kagome met Bankotsu's eyes. The young leader gave her a single nod and mouthed, "I love you."

She took a deep breath and, focusing on the road ahead of her, walked away.

* * *

When Kagome saw the village, she stopped. Knowing the mercenaries were now far away from her, she allowed herself to collapse on the ground. Heavy sobs wracked her small body as tears flooded from her eyes.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Tissue anyone? The next few chapters are going to go by relatively quickly as this story wraps itself up. Just a forewarning.


	16. Chapter 15

They waited until she was gone before they took the other path. Neither man said anything as they continued their trek to Mount Hakurei. Once they approached the foot of the mountain, Bankotsu stopped.

Renkotsu took a deep breath. "Big Brother, do you think it wise to have let the girl live? Wouldn't it have been better to kill her?" he asked.

Bankotsu closed his eyes and bowed his head. _Kagome_… Renkotsu had a cannon in his hands, but Bankotsu wasn't worried about it.

Without warning, the young mercenary stabbed his comrade in the neck with his fingers. Renkotsu froze in shock and sudden pain as the young leader pulled two jewel shards from the older man's neck. Bankotsu counted in his head: Kyokotsu, Mukotsu, Suikotsu, Ginkotsu, Jakotsu…

He nodded. "Right, right," he said more to himself. To Renkotsu, he said, "You still have one more. You know, for a smart guy, you sure can be stupid."

He turned to face his old comrade. "You kept plotting and planning, but you waited too long to act," the young mercenary continued.

"Will… Will you kill me?" Renkotsu asked as he grasped his bleeding neck.

Bankotsu raised an eyebrow as he held up one of Jakotsu's hairpins. "Well, what should I do?" he countered. "After all, you killed Jakotsu for his Sacred Jewel shard."

The older man growled and threw his hand away from his neck. "Who the hell are you to talk?!" he snarled. "In the end, all that matters is power. And the more shards you have, the stronger you become."

Bankotsu gave a soft chuckle as Renkotsu continued, "What's so funny? Don't forget. You have jewel shards, too, Big Brother. And you used us to get them for you!"

"Let's put your theory to the test," Bankotsu said calmly.

The older mercenary hesitated. "What do you mean?"

The young leader threw the two shards back to Renkotsu. "Here. Take them. What's the problem?"

He caught Renkotsu's glance at the halberd and immediately stuck it in the ground. "Oh, don't worry. I won't even use Banryu."

As Renkotsu put the shards back into his neck, Bankotsu smirked evilly. "Now I will demonstrate how different you and I actually are. Well? What are you waiting for? If you won't attack, then I'll come at you first!"

As Bankotsu made his move to attack, the older mercenary shot at the young leader with his cannon. Bankotsu dodged it easily. Renkotsu shot his cannon four more times before the young man was able to get close enough to knock the weapon out of his hands. Renkotsu fell backwards onto the ground.

The leader glared down at the man. "Get on your feet," he ordered.

"Damn it!" Renkotsu snarled as he jumped away from the other man. Grabbing his gourd, he took a huge chug of the liquid and spit it out at Bankotsu.

Fire enveloped the young mercenary and Bankotsu growled in anger. He waited patiently while Renkotsu relaxed, thinking he won. Then the young leader threw Jakotsu's hairpin and the hairpin stabbed Renkotsu in the shoulder.

The older man fell to his knees in pain. "I don't get it," he snarled as Bankotsu calmly stepped out of the flames and approached him. "Wh-What's the difference? Tell me! What's the difference between what I've done and what you're doing now?!"

The young mercenary stabbed the man in the neck again with his fingers and dug out the jewel shards. As Renkotsu's flesh turned to dust, Bankotsu answered, "The difference is, I would never betray my friends."

Bankotsu stared down at his fallen friend. What a waste of good talent.

_Kagome_… Bankotsu closed his eyes before turning to glance back up at the mountain. The only people standing in his way now were Inuyasha and Naraku. He knew what the outcome would be as he retrieved his halberd. With any luck, he'd take the demons down with him.

"Seems like I'm the only one left," he commented to himself. He squared his jaw in determination. "This will be the final battle of the Band of Seven."

* * *

She wiped her tears away and shook her head. Mount Hakurei was where Bankotsu was heading. That was where Naraku was hiding.

She stood up and dusted herself off. Grabbing her bicycle, she turned away from the village. She knew she wasn't following Bankotsu's orders, but she didn't care. He wasn't with her anymore.

Like him, she had a job to do. If she were meant to give birth to this child, she would, but she would do so on _her_ terms.

Naraku lay in that mountain. If she had any hope of finding peace for her friends, herself, and Bankotsu, Naraku had to be destroyed.

With a newfound determination, she began her trek towards the mountain. Now that Renkotsu wasn't blowing smoke around her, she knew her friends would find her easily.

* * *

Both Koga and Inuyasha froze and stuck their noses in the air. "Kagome!" they shouted in unison.

The two rivals glared at each other before taking off in the direction of the scent. Miroku and Sango stole quick glances at one another before Sango tightened her grip on her cat. "Kirara!"

* * *

Kagome stopped as she suddenly felt the presence of two jewel shards behind her. She recognized them immediately and turned around. She was confronted by Koga who suddenly drew her into his embrace.

"Kagome," he greeted.

The miko smiled softly and slipped her arms around his waist as she returned the hug. She tightened her grip as she realized how much she had missed him. She closed her eyes and breathed him in. "Koga," she whispered.

"Hey, you stupid fleabag! Let go of Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted as he ran up to the two.

Kagome gasped as she released the wolf and broke his embrace. She practically fell into the hanyou's arms. "Inuyasha!" she cried.

As Inuyasha held her, Koga growled, "Where did he go? Where's the ass wipe who kidnapped you?"

The priestess steeled herself and she gently broke away from Inuyasha. Those questions came much sooner than she had expected. Over Inuyasha's shoulder, she caught Kirara approaching with Miroku, Sango, and Shippo. As they got closer, Shippo bounded off the cat and jumped in Kagome's arms.

"Kagome!" he cried, hugging her as tightly as he could.

The entire reunion was tear filled as each of the people, and Kirara, took their turns hugging Kagome. For once, Miroku's hand did not even stray.

Inuyasha growled, "You smell like that mercenary, Kagome. Where is he? I want to kill him."

"The only one who'll be killing him is me, mutt!" Koga snarled. "I told you already. You had your chance and you blew it."

"Would you two stop?!" Kagome snapped. "You've more important things to worry about."

The group looked at the priestess as she took a calming breath. "Naraku is in Mount Hakurei. He's been rebuilding his body there," she explained. "If we get to him now, we might have a chance of defeating him."

Sango placed a worried hand on her friend's shoulder. "What about Bankotsu? Did you defeat him?"

The priestess shook her head. "He let me go," she told him, gaining shocked looks in the process. "His job is to keep us from going to Mount Hakurei and he got sidetracked by me."

Both the hanyou and wolf demon cracked their knuckles. "Then I still have a chance of kicking that corpse's ass," Inuyasha sneered, a vicious gleam in his eyes.

Kagome gave him a sad look before nodding. "He's actually waiting for you," she told him.

Koga smirked as he glanced at the road ahead of them. "Well, it would be rude to keep him waiting," he said before he disappeared in a whirlwind.

Kagome sighed. She just hoped that whatever awaited them at Mount Hakurei, they would make it out alive.

_Bankotsu_…

Inuyasha jerked his shoulder towards the road. "I'm going ahead," he told his companions. "I don't need that wolf getting Bankotsu before I do."

He gazed at Kagome and she looked away. Inuyasha's expression hardened. "I'm going to make him pay for what he did to you."

As the hanyou took off, Kagome sighed. She was so confused. Logic told her that Inuyasha was the one who was actually alive, so Inuyasha is the one she should root for. But Bankotsu…

The priestess placed a hand on her stomach. _"You'll always have me, my little miko. Even when I'm gone… I'll always be with you… I love you."_

As his words echoed in her mind and touched her heart, she bit back her tears. _"Don't you dare cry over me, miko. You're number one priority is to defeat Naraku. I'm just an obstacle in that path. I died a long time ago."_

She closed her eyes and nodded. He was right. She had to defeat Naraku.

"Kagome? What's wrong?" Sango asked.

The miko shook her head. "It doesn't matter," she replied as she opened her eyes with conviction. "Our job is to defeat Naraku. And that's what we need to be doing."

Sango nodded, but did not move. She glanced down at the hand Kagome had placed on her own stomach. "Kagome, did…?" Her eyes met the miko's and she saw the truth in them.

The demon slayer drew her hand back as though something had bit her and put her hand over her mouth in a gasp. "Oh, god…"

The priestess shook her head. "Don't," she told her friend. "That's not important right now."

Miroku glared at the path before them. "What a scumbag!" he snarled. "I hope Inuyasha does kill the bastard."

"Miroku, please," Kagome begged, but the monk wasn't paying attention.

"As a monk, I don't normal condone killing, but in that filthy criminal's case, I'm willing to make an exception," he sneered.

The priestess crumbled to the ground, unable to control her tears any longer. "Kagome!" Sango exclaimed as she followed her friend and embraced her.

Miroku watched the women with wide eyes. He hadn't meant to upset the miko. He was merely… The monk bowed his head and closed his eyes. "You're in love with him," he murmured.

Kagome sobbed, but she did not deny his claim. "I'm sorry," she whispered through her tears.

Sango shushed her as she rubbed the miko's back. "It's ok," she soothed. "It's understandable. We have no way of knowing what happened between the two of you. And Miroku was just being insensitive, which is rare, but it's only because he cares about you. We all do. He hurt you. And worse, because of him…"

The demon slayer pulled away from the priestess and looked into her eyes. "Kagome, we would understand if you did not wish to continue. Yes, Naraku needs to be defeated, but your child…"

The priestess shook her head. "No," she hissed. "I won't be left out! Naraku _will_ be defeated and I will see it done. That monster has hurt me far more than anything Bankotsu could ever have done."

"Your child will be in danger," Sango pointed out, concern written on her face.

Again, the miko shook her head. "I will go back to my time and see a doctor there," she explained. "The doctor will be able to tell me when the child is due. If we haven't defeated Naraku by then, I'll give birth in my time and leave the baby with my mother."

Sango nodded. "I don't know that we'll have Naraku defeated by then though," she said as she glanced at the monk.

Miroku held his chin as he thought. "You've been away from us for four months," he stated as he silently did the math. "So, if I'm correct, you have at least another five months before the baby is born. We may be able to hunt Naraku within that time, but by the time we get to him, you will be too pregnant to fight."

"Unless we defeat him today," Shippo suggested, speaking for the first time.

The monk gazed at the women and kitsune and nodded. "That seems our only option. Defeat him now and we won't have to worry."

Sango stood up and helped her friend up. The companions left the bike behind as they began making the trek to Mount Hakurei.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Most of the first scene, including dialogue, was borrowed from the actual anime where Bankotsu confronts Renkotsu in the episode titled "Fare Thee Well: Jakotsu's Requiem." Yes. That probably is considered cheating, but I have my reasons for it.


	17. Chapter 16

Bankotsu sat on a boulder deep within a cave. One leg was propped up and he used it to rest his arm. The other hung off the side of the boulder. Banryu stood next to him, the tip of its blade buried in the cave's floor.

_Kagome…_

The mercenary shook his head. He really could not understand why he was letting her get in his mind. When he agreed to do this job, she never was part of the equation. Now, she was all he could think about.

He saw the bump in her stomach again. Could she really be pregnant?

It wasn't possible. Pregnancy would mean that he could have children. It meant that he actually was alive. It meant he wasn't just some specter.

His gaze rested on his jewel endowed left wrist and he balled his hand into a fist. If she really was pregnant, then he had more than one reason to keep his life.

_Serve me and you'll have eternal life._ That had been Naraku's promise.

Bankotsu doubted the demon would be true to his word. Demons rarely were. He knew Naraku was using him and knew that he couldn't trust the bastard. But Naraku had given him a second chance at life. With that second chance, Bankotsu had, somehow, managed to produce life.

His thoughts drifted back to the miko, the mother of his child. She had been incredibly beautiful and kind. Her gentleness was something he had never experienced before. Even more, it made his desire to live even greater than getting revenge.

His whole plan had been to seduce the priestess and taint her. To make her want him and no one else. To his great joy, he had accomplished that very thing. But in the process, she had stolen his heart as well. There was no sense in denying it anymore. At least, not to himself.

Every one of his comrades was gone now, leaving him alone, but was he really alone? Had he wanted, Bankotsu could have a life. He could live. He had a wife and a child. He had an opportunity to take them and leave this area. He could watch his baby grow into an incredible warrior and he knew the child would, regardless of whether the child was male or female. There was so much he could teach his kid.

Bankotsu closed his eyes. A pipe dream is what it was. Even if he would be able to take Kagome and leave, Naraku would find them. Bankotsu would die the moment the shards were taken out of his body.

Then again, if Bankotsu were to defeat Naraku then…

He imagined Kagome being round with their third, maybe fourth child. Maybe they would have mostly boys. One girl. He wanted only one girl. All the rest were boys. Strapping, healthy, handsome boys who would grow big and strong, like their father. The girl would be as beautiful as her mother and become a miko just like Kagome.

The mercenary was jolted from his small fantasy as he heard feet slapping against the cave floor. Looking up towards the entrance, he hopped down from his boulder and picked up his halberd.

His eyes widened ever so slightly as he swung his blade in a wide arch in front of him, causing the rock along the side and top of the cave to crumble. His eyes narrowed and he waited as the hanyou approached, sword drawn.

"Bankotsu!" Inuyasha growled, skidding to a halt several feet in front of the mercenary. Koga stood beside the half breed.

"Two against one," the mercenary commented. "I think those odds are quite unfair. Perhaps you should turn around and get some help before I kill you both."

"You're the one who's gonna die, you stinkin' corpse!" Koga snarled his hand clenched in a fist.

"I have no interest in you, wolf," the mercenary said. He pointed his blade at the hanyou and stated, "You, however… I hope you aren't on your way to see Naraku, because you won't actually be meeting him. You and I have a score to settle."

"You bastard!" Inuyasha shouted. "I'm going to kill you for what you did to Kagome and then I'll take your jewel shards!"

Bankotsu smirked. "What I did to Kagome, huh?" he taunted. "I really have no idea what you're talking about. By my reckoning, she enjoyed it."

"Shut up!" Koga roared as he jumped in the air to deliver a kick to the mercenary's face.

Bankotsu ducked as he raised his halberd to deflect the blow. Koga spun in midair to keep from getting hit by the sword as Bankotsu swung the blade.

"Get outta the way, you stupid wolf!" Inuyasha growled.

The mercenary chuckled as Koga jumped away from him. As Inuyasha unleashed his Wind Scar, Bankotsu batted it away as though it were nothing. The half demon's eyes widened in shock.

"That trick won't work on me, Inuyasha," the mercenary sneered as he advanced upon the hanyou.

As Bankotsu swung his blade, Inuyasha parried it with the Tetsusaiga. The mercenary attacked again and the hanyou blocked again. As they fought, they spoke to one another.

"I'm going to carve out every one of those jewel shards, Bankotsu," Inuyasha snarled. "So, you better be ready. You should be rotting in your grave like good little corpse and I'm gonna be the one to make sure you do!"

"Ha!" Bankotsu barked. "That's high and mighty for someone such as you, a pathetic little demon that was nailed to a tree."

"You son of a…"

"My mistake," the mercenary corrected. "You're not a real demon. You're just a half demon. I was told all about you and that dead priestess, Kikyo."

"Why you…"

Bankotsu parried another blow before jumping away from the hanyou. "A half demon such as you has no right criticizing those of us who were resurrected."

"I've had enough of this chatter!" Koga yelled as he jumped into the fight.

The mercenary jumped away from the wolf, but Inuyasha stepped between them. "I said, stay out of this!" the hanyou growled. "Wind Scar!"

Bankotsu swung his sword, sending a ball of heat at Inuyasha's attack. The Wind Scar was easily deflected. Rocks and dust tumbled onto the floor. Inuyasha and Koga quickly jumped out of the way as Bankotsu was surrounded by the rock.

The mercenary's eyes narrowed as he pushed the rock aside and climbed atop it. When he saw the two demons, he gave a soft gasp. "So, you survived," he panted.

Both demons growled. Inuyasha had the tip of his sword buried in the soil. It had been the only thing that had protected him and Koga from the falling rocks. Though they were protected from most of the damage, Koga had been knocked out by a rather large rock.

"Good!" the mercenary spat. "Because that means I can kill you!"

The hanyou glared at his foe. "One of us is going to die today, but it isn't going to be me! Come and get it, Bankotsu!"

Both men swung their swords at the same time in their owned attacks. They parried one another, making more rocks fall and leaving neither man injured. Inuyasha growled. _Damn it! There's no demonic aura, so I can't use my Backlash Wave!_

"You look like you're deep in thought, Inuyasha," the mercenary commented. "Thinking about where you want to be buried?"

The hanyou snorted. "I was actually trying to think of the quickest way to defeat you, but never mind. I'm having too much fun!"

As the hanyou let loose another Wind Scar, the mercenary sent a blast of heat with his Banryu. They fought like this for a while.

Inuyasha jumped out of the way of one of Bankotsu's heat attacks and growled. The mercenary smirked. "What's the matter, Inuyasha? I thought you said you were having fun?"

The hanyou threw his sword at the man and Bankotsu easily batted it away. Tetsusaiga flew across the cave and landed with its pointed buried in the ground. As the sword was flying, Inuyasha leapt at Bankotsu and, using his claws, cut out the jewel shards buried in the mercenary's right wrist.

The mercenary threw the hanyou off of him and clutched at his arm, dropping Banryu in the process. He glared at his opponent. "How dare you!"

"Heh! I knew you had shards in your arm," Inuyasha sneered. "That's why you seemed so powerful. I'm going to carve each shard out of your body and the next one's in your neck!"

As Inuyasha attacked the mercenary with his claws, Bankotsu jumped away from him. It was an effective means of not getting hit or sliced open. As he dodged another blow, the mercenary balled his right fist and punched the hanyou across the face, causing Inuyasha to fall backwards to the ground.

"Don't underestimate me, half demon. Just who do you think you're dealing with? I am Bankotsu, leader of the Band of Seven. And I've never lost a battle to anyone."

"You bastard, " Inuyasha growled.

The hanyou rose to his feet and bounded at the mercenary, attempting to slice him. Bankotsu easily dodged to Inuyasha's attack and attempted to return fire, throwing punches. Many of the punches Bankotsu gave made contact with flesh. "You underestimate my strength. There was a good reason why I became the leader of the Band of Seven," the mercenary snarled as he attempted to punch Inuyasha's face into the wall.

Inuyasha dodged the blow just barely and managed to get behind the mercenary, but Bankotsu whirled on the ball of his foot and followed the hanyou's movement. He continued, "I controlled a gang of murderers with my own power long before I was resurrected by the Shikon jewel!"

Bankotsu landed a few more punches before sending the hanyou flying backwards and smashing against the stone wall. "Heh. You really are pathetic."

"One of your jewel shards is imbedded in your left arm," Inuyasha pointed out as he leaned against the wall, panting. "That's a pretty straight forward way to use them, especially considering how twisted you are."

Bankotsu smirked. "So, you let me hit you so you could check me out, huh? Will you take my shards from me or will I pull that head of yours clean off?! Who's gonna be first?" He jumped at the hanyou with his fists ready.

*8*

Kagome was sitting behind Sango on Kirara. The miko had sensed the Sacred Jewel shards and begged for her friends to help her. Sango and Miroku obliged since they were heading in that direction anyway. It wasn't just Bankotsu and Koga's jewel shards the miko had sensed. She felt Naraku, as well.

As the friends hurried towards the mountain, Kagome sent a prayer: not just for Inuyasha and Koga, but one for Bankotsu as well.

*8*

Inuyasha came at Bankotsu at the same time with his claws bared. To his surprise, the mercenary blocked him. Bankotsu used the opportunity to throw another punch across the hanyou's face and felt the satisfying connection of flesh and bone against flesh and bone.

Inuyasha fell against the hard stone wall again and, as he did, Bankotsu laughed. "What's the matter, Inuyasha? I'm going out of my way to punch with this hand to make it easy for you to take my jewel shards," he taunted.

He grabbed the hanyou by the neck and slammed him against the wall, adding a punch to the hanyou's stomach. Then, he allowed the hanyou to fall to the ground. "You're pathetic," the mercenary snarled as he grabbed the hanyou's haori collar. "I thought you were a lot stronger than that." He held the hanyou up to face level and added with a sneer, "I don't understand what Kagome _ever_ saw in you, but don't worry. I'll take care of the little miko. Now, die."

As Bankotsu raised his hand for the killing blow, Inuyasha's fingers jabbed themselves into the mercenary's neck. The mercenary grunted in shock. "I'm not like all the other humans and demons you slaughtered," the hanyou grunted. "I can take a lot more damage than them."

Three shards flew out of Bankotsu's neck and as he released Inuyasha, the hanyou snatched them up. Inuyasha kicked the mercenary in the chest, sending him flying back into the wall on the opposite side. He tucked the shards into his haori. "I've got five of them," the hanyou growled. "Once I get the one from your left arm, it'll all be over for you, Bankotsu."

It was then that Koga reappeared at Inuyasha's side, but this time, the wolf was wise enough not to go after the mercenary.

Bankotsu barked a sarcastic laugh. "I will never die!" the mercenary shouted. "I'll kill you and take back the jewel shards you stole from me."

Koga's eyes narrowed. "Wanna bet, corpse?" he growled.

Inuyasha shot an angry glance at the wolf. "Stay out of it, wolf," he snapped. He turned his attention back to the fallen mercenary. Indicating the cave to show the demons that had gathered around both entryways, he said, "Look around you. Getting out of this cave is only half the battle. Do you think Naraku's going to let you live when you have Shikon jewel shards?"

Bankotsu knew where Inuyasha was going and refused to take the bait. "Do you think I'll let Naraku get me?" he spat back. "After I kill you, I'll go after Naraku. I have to. My wife and child are counting on me."

The hanyou and demon both hesitated. "What?" they asked in unison.

The mercenary just glared at the two. "I guess you haven't realized it yet, huh?" he growled. "My Kagome is pregnant with my child. In a few months' time, she'll give birth and I intend to be there!"

Without warning, Bankotsu leaped from his position and straight for Banryu. Koga took a step back, his claws at the ready as Inuyasha retrieved Tetsusaiga. The hanyou glanced at the wolf. "Stay out of it!" he snapped, but it didn't matter.

Once Bankotsu grabbed his sword, he ran past the hanyou and wolf demon and began attacking the demons at one of the entryways. Inuyasha and Koga looked at one another as Koga asked, "What the hell is he doing?"

The hanyou shook his head. He could hear the mercenary counting as he slain the demons. This only worked to further confuse Inuyasha. But the hanyou had his own battle to fight. Apparently, Bankotsu's attack sent the other demons into a battle frenzy and both Inuyasha and Koga were suddenly busy fighting them off.

Almost immediately after the hanyou and wolf began fighting the demons, Bankotsu shouted, "I don't need the rest of you!"

Koga glanced up at the mercenary. "What did you say?" he growled. His eyes widened in surprise.

Bankotsu's sword glowed with a demonic light as he twirled it above his head. Then, he sliced his sword in the air, causing a great rush of demonic energy to be released from the sword, killing everything within its path. With luck, Koga was standing next to Inuyasha as the hanyou held up his sword for protection. Unfortunately, the wolf managed to get knocked out again as the walls to the cave split into piles of rock.

Inuyasha stood strong, his fang bared, against the mercenary. If what Bankotsu said about Kagome was true, the hanyou knew she wouldn't want the father of her child killed. "If you decide to leave, I won't get in your way," he told the mercenary.

Bankotsu rested Banryu on his shoulder. "I'm not going anywhere until I avenge my brothers."

The hanyou snorted. "What? Just because your blade transformed a little?"

"Actually, I wanted to chop off your head to complete the transformation," the mercenary commented with a small smile. He shrugged. "But it might not have been enough with you being only a half demon."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

Bankotsu jumped into the air and raised his sword. "You're about to find out!" he shouted as he brought his sword down to come crashing against Inuyasha's.

Inuyasha remained surprised as the two exchanged more blows and parries. Banryu had grown much stronger. Each time they clashed, the two swords sent sparks flying off of their blades.

As they traded blows, Bankotsu chuckled. "Kagome was born with powers of the divine," he boasted. "I wonder if our child will inherit that. I wasn't born with those powers, nor am I spiritual. I have always believed that to be strong, you had to have power. Since I couldn't have any of those powers, I knew the only other way to gain power was to put it in an object!"

Inuyasha grunted as he blocked another blow. "Bankotsu, that blade of yours has demonic power," he warned. "Though the Shikon Jewel may have revived you, you're still human. Having that blade is dangerous. Get rid of it!"

"Go to hell, half breed!"

Inuyasha tried jumping away from the mercenary, but Bankotsu followed him. The power of Banryu pushed the half demon back and it was all Inuyasha could do to keep his sword up for protection. With a blast from Banryu, Inuyasha was thrown into a stone column. The column cracked and broke, sending debris to rain upon the hanyou's head and shoulders.

Bankotsu took a step back and pointed his blade at the hanyou. "It's over," he said with a finality that Inuyasha did not miss.

The mercenary lifted his demonic sword over his head and the sword began to twirl. As it did, an orb of demonic energy began to form right above the sword. "With this power, I will lose to no one!" he shouted as he grabbed his sword and swung it in an arch towards Inuyasha.

Inuyasha did not think as he raised his own blade and sent his Backlash Wave back at the mercenary. He then watched as the mercenary tried to protect himself with his blade only to have the blade shattered. Bankotsu was consumed in his own demonic power and the walls around him crumbled to bury him.

The hanyou panted and put his blade back in its scabbard. Then, he approached the half dead mercenary. Bankotsu's body was crushed under a pile of huge rocks. His head rested on another rock. While his left arm was still attached to his shoulder, the mercenary's right arm stuck out at an odd angle a few feet away.

Bankotsu was still breathing, but just barely. His eyes were open and he glanced at the hanyou. He knew his time had come and it _was_ over. For him. "I don't understand," he whispered.

Inuyasha just stared at the mercenary. "You were too greedy, Bankotsu," he replied. "You were strong enough on your own, even without the jewel shards."

Bankotsu glanced away and blinked. "Take care of her," he whispered.

As the world began to darken around the mercenary, he saw a vision of Kagome. She was standing there with a sad smile as she looked at him. A small baby boy was perched on one hip.

*8*

Kagome felt an odd pressure in her chest and gasped. A single tear fell down her cheek. "We have to hurry, Sango," she said.

The demon slayer nodded. "Right," she agreed. She pressed her knees more firmly into the cat demon's sides. "Let's go, Kirara."

*8*

Inuyasha helped the wolf demon to his feet. "Naraku is further in this cave," the hanyou said.

Koga nodded. "Let's go then, mutt."

As the two began to move, the ground beneath them began to shift. They held their arms out to steady themselves. "What the…?"

Neither demon could move their legs as they became trapped and swallowed into the ground.

*8*

The small group of friends entered a large cavern. Kagome looked around it frantically. She knew she had sensed jewel shards around here.

"What's that?" Shippo asked fearfully as he pointed down at the seemingly bottomless chasm. It seemed like large tentacles were rising swiftly out of the ground.

Kagome gasped suddenly as she saw the hanyou helplessly ensnared within the tentacles. "Inuyasha!" she shouted. She repeated herself several more times before the hanyou finally stirred.

"Ka-go-me," he whispered. He slowly raised his eyes and saw her.

Inuyasha's eyes snapped open. "What are you doing here? It's too dangerous!" he yelled at her.

Shippo changed into a large pink balloon and Kagome climbed on top of him. Together they drifted towards the hanyou. "We were worried about you," Kagome answered.

The hanyou glanced away. With her being so close to him, he could smell the truth of Bankotsu's words. He closed his eyes. "I'm ok," he assured her. "But you…"

He was interrupted by a malicious laugh. Both he and Kagome glanced up at the ceiling as Naraku's face appeared.

Without warning, Kirara was slammed into the wall and both Miroku and Sango were pinned against it. Shippo tried to fly away, but he and Kagome were also swept up by tentacles and slammed into the wall. Kagome grunted, causing Inuyasha to immediately worry about her.

"Naraku," the miko groaned.

The evil hanyou continued to chuckle. "It's too late for you now, Inuyasha," he stated calmly. "You're already hopelessly entangled in my intestines. The whole of Mount Hakurei has become a part of my body. You are all inside of me."

Shippo glanced fearfully up at Kagome. "Does that mean he's going to devour all of us?" he asked.

Naraku scoffed. "Don't be so naïve. I have no interest in absorbing a weak demon like you."

The little kitsune was immediately offended. "Hey! Is he talking about me?"

"Nor am I interested in a half demon and a handful of humans," the evil hanyou added as he raised one of his tentacles to reveal the upper portion of Bankotsu's body.

Kagome gasped. _Bankotsu_…

"Bankotsu!" Inuyasha stated.

Both Miroku and Sango gazed at the mercenary. "Bankotsu's dead?" the monk asked in surprise.

The miko stared at her beloved with a mixture of horror and sorrow. She knew it was going to happen. He had told her as much, but she hadn't wanted to believe it.

"The stupidity of humans makes me utterly sick to my stomach," Naraku spat. "Even villains like Bankotsu, who had the chance to run away with the jewel shards, and yet he chose to stay here and avenge his comrades. He fought against you, Inuyasha, when he should have fled. They prove themselves to be fools all the time, these mortals called humans."

Naraku lifted a tentacle and jabbed it into Bankotsu's left arm. Kagome watched in horror as the jewel shards were pulled out of his body and the corpse crumbled into dust.

"Naraku, damn you to hell! Sure, Bankotsu may have been a villain," Inuyasha growled. "He was evil alright, but he was hundreds of times more decent than you. Naraku! Compared to him, Naraku, you are…"

"Why are you so wound up, Inuyasha?" the evil hanyou chuckled. "Ultimately, you were the one who defeated him."

"Spare me the lectures!" Inuyasha snarled.

The tentacles continued to gather the shards, both from Banryu and viciously from Inuyasha's haori. As Naraku drew the shards closer to his face, he laughed in victory. "At long last, the jewel shards belong to me!"

The friends shielded their eyes as the jewel shards were combined with one another. They then watched in terror as the evil hanyou's body began to reform. His new body looked ten times more formidable. His armor had fang-like spikes vertically along his chest and down both of his arms. There was a large, spiked shoulder plate on his left shoulder and an upper arm guard on his right. Two huge fangs were sticking up out of his back near either of his shoulders and he had large, bone and fang bands that flared out of his back to rest behind him. His long black hair fell to his waist and did nothing to cover the big, thick tentacles that were also attached to his back.

He was covered by a long, blue and purple outfit that barely concealed the armor he wore. In the middle of his chest a huge red eye flickered back and forth, taking in all of its surroundings. A large pink orb surrounded Naraku.

Sango gasped. "Is that?"

"It's Naraku's new body," Miroku said, staring at the evil hanyou.

Naraku chuckled. "Look at you all," he taunted. "You came here to destroy me and now you cannot even lay a finger on me."

"Yeah, like I'm trembling in fear!" Inuyasha sneered. "After all the trouble you went through to hide yourself, I was expecting you to be some big scary monster!"

"Inuyasha, Naraku's demonic aura is much stronger than it used to be!" Miroku shouted, trying to warn his friend.

The hanyou barked in sarcasm. "Please!" he spat. "As if! He's only become more warped than before. That's the only difference with this loser!"

Inuyasha shoved his hand through the tentacles, managing to slice his way out. Then he jumped onto the wall and used the wall to propel him towards Naraku. Raising a hand in attack, he shouted, "Iron Wreaver, Soul Stealer!"

Naraku laughed at the attempt. He was still protected by his pinkish barrier and Inuyasha and his attack just bounced off. "Only a fool would try to attack me with his bare claws," the evil hanyou stated with a laugh.

Inuyasha somersaulted to a small landing. "Yeah? If it's a sword you want, then I'll cut you to shreds!" he grabbed his scabbard and held it up. "Come, Tetsusaiga."

As soon as his sword came to him, Inuyasha transformed it into its large blade. Then, he swung it around and sliced it through the air towards Naraku. "Wind Scar!"

"Hn," Naraku scoffed. "Always the fool."

Naraku lifted his arm and the fang closest to his hand elongated, piercing the barrier, but not disbursing it. As the Wind Scar approached him, the dark hanyou cut through it, causing the attack to suddenly go all over the place.

The wild attack destroyed the tentacles that held Inuyasha's companions and Inuyasha quickly jumped to Kagome's rescue. He brought her to a nearby ledge and glanced at Sango and Miroku. To his relief, they were at another ledge, hiding behind Sango's Hiraikotsu. Inuyasha used his sword to protect Kagome, Shippo, and himself from the Wind Scar.

"I don't understand," the hanyou growled. "Why is the Wind Scar acting like this?"

The attack just wouldn't disappear and Naraku laughed more. "Inuyasha, I've trapped your Wind Scar in the flow of my own demonic aura. The Wind Scar will continue to circle in here. At least until you are all sliced to pieces. Ironic, isn't it, Inuyasha? To think the unleashing of your Wind Scar will cause the death of all your precious friends."

Naraku started rising towards the top of the mountain and Inuyasha barked, "You running away again, coward?"

Kagome gasped suddenly as she looked up at Naraku. She tugged on Inuyasha's haori. "Inuyasha, go after him!" she hissed.

"What?"

"I see Koga!" she said as she pointed to Naraku. "There, at Naraku's feet! We have to save him."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," Kagome confirmed. "Koga's a demon, so Naraku might try to absorb him to get his jewel shards. We've got to save him."

"That's assuming the guy's still alive," he growled as the Wind Scar came back towards them.

Once the Wind Scar was safely away from them, Inuyasha let Kagome climb onto his back as he jumped into the air. She grabbed her bow and an arrow and aimed at the evil hanyou. "Remember, aim for Naraku and take him down," Inuyasha told her.

Kagome nodded. "Alright," she said as she pulled back on the bow and released it and the arrow.

Her miko powers were as strong as ever as they cut through the Wind Scar and Naraku's demonic aura. The arrow sliced at Naraku's barrier near his feet, causing a large blob to fall from it. Koga was inside that blob.

"Oh, look! It's Koga!" The priestess shouted and Inuyasha changed his direction to go after the unconscious wolf.

Naraku chuckled. "You'd worry about a friend at a time like this? Your unfailing stupidity thoroughly disgusts me," he sneered. He lifted a hand. "If your comrades are so precious to you, then you can all die here, together."

The walls and ground began to shake. The bits of tentacles and the wall fell around them in pieces. Miroku and Sango tried to catch their balance and were lucky enough that Kirara was there to help them. They jumped onto her back and Miroku shouted, "Inuyasha! This entire mountain is beginning to crumble! We have to get out of here!"

The hanyou glanced at his friend and nodded. Landing on a ledge, he let Kagome and Shippo slide off of him. "Shippo? Can you get Kagome out of here?" he asked.

The fox demon nodded, but it was Kagome who asked, "What are you going to do?"

Inuyasha snorted. "What do you think? I'm going after that mangy wolf. You'll only be in my way if you're with me. Now, go."

Shippo transformed into a balloon and Kagome climbed on top of him. She glanced at Inuyasha. "You'll come back to me, won't you, Inuyasha?" she asked, concern filling her eyes.

The hanyou gave a nod. "Don't worry about me. Just go."

As the kitsune moved away and towards Miroku and Sango, the hanyou jumped into the darkness. Kagome glanced around her. "Where's the exit?"

The monk shook his head. "It looked like we'll have to make one," he told them as he lifted his hand above his head and unleashed his Wind Tunnel.

To their relief, he was able to create a passage to the outside. Shippo and Kirara hurried out and landed safely on the ground at a safe distance. They watched as the mountain crumbled and fell. Kagome clutched at her chest in fear.

*8*

When Inuyasha reached the bottom of the mountain, he found himself surrounded by a pool of acid and miasma. He knew that if the wolf had fallen into the pool, there would be no hope in recovering him. To his surprise, or what was that relief, Inuyasha saw the wolf laying on a piece of rock. He was still encased in the blob.

The hanyou used his claws and cut the blob away from the wolf. He checked the wolf's vitals and saw that he was still alive.

He threw Koga's arm around his shoulder and grabbed the wolf's waist. It was at this time that Koga awoke, coughing.

Inuyasha scoffed. "So, you're awake, you scrawny wolf."

"Yeah, mangy mutt," Koga bit back, though there was no real bite in his words. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open. "Bankotsu, Naraku! Where are they?"

"We'll talk about that later. Right now, we've got to get out of here," the hanyou replied. But finding an exit wasn't going to be easy. "Where's the exit?"

"You mean you don't know?" the wolf exclaimed. "You idiot!"

"I used to know," the hanyou argued, as he felt Koga slipping. "But it seems like all the exits have been sealed."

"You gotta be kiddin' me," Koga said. "I ain't gonna die in this place with you."

Inuyasha sniffed. "We agree for once. I'm not dying here."

A beam of light suddenly shone towards them. Inuyasha readjusted Koga before bounding towards the light.

*8*

Kagome waited anxiously as she watched the mountain crumble and implode upon itself, Inuyasha's red haori was clutched in her hands. Shippo sat on her shoulder, his eyes staring at the mountain as well. Sango and Miroku were high above them on Kirara, trying to catch a glimpse of the hanyou.

It was Kagome who saw them first, thanks to Koga's jewel shards. "Inuyasha! Koga!" she shouted.

Koga found a new strength as he grabbed the back of Inuyasha's kimono and propelled off a falling boulder. They were safe within moments. Immediately, Koga abandoned the hanyou and went to Kagome.

He took her hands into his. "I am so sorry to make you worry," he told her. "I hope you're…"

The miko watched him as his nose wrinkled and he sniffed the air. She had hoped the dust and miasma would have covered her scent, but… "Are you… pregnant?" the wolf asked.

He released her hands as Kirara landed and the monk and demon slayer moved to stand on either side of the priestess. Inuyasha folded his arms as he glared at them. "So," he growled, "you're defending that spawn?"

Kagome gasped as Miroku stepped in front of her. "Don't do something you'll regret," the monk warned. "Regardless of what may have happened…"

"What _may_ have happened?!" Koga snarled. "That asshole forced himself on her. And now, because of _him_ she's pregnant!"

Miroku nodded in agreement. "But that is neither her fault nor that of the child's. We cannot allow our own hatreds affect the outcome of this child's life. It is an innocent, which makes it our responsibility to protect."

Koga looked at Kagome. She could see that he was hurt. Touching Miroku's arm, she walked past him and approached the wolf. "It will be ok," she said softly, but the wolf pulled away from her.

"You're supposed to be mine," he told her. "This wasn't supposed to happen."

She pursed her lips. "You're right," she replied. "This _wasn't_ supposed to happen. But it _did._ And now, I have to live with that… I won't… I won't ask you to continue…"

She had glanced at Inuyasha and he looked away from her, unable to meet her eyes. "Don't be an idiot," the hanyou growled. "It's my fault that it happened in the first place, so…"

"No, it's not," she argued.

His eyes snapped to hers as he snarled, "It is! If I had picked you up instead of…"

"There's no way you could have known Bankotsu and his men were hiding in wait," she shot back. "It was something they had planned back when Suikotsu was killed. Bankotsu told me all about it."

"Keh," the hanyou said, he looked away from her again. "You and Bankotsu got awfully close while you were there, didn't you? Is it true what he said? Did you start to actually enjoy spending time with him?"

Kagome hesitated, but Miroku stepped in again. "You have no idea what she's been through, Inuyasha," the monk pointed out. "None of us do. Anything he may have told you has to be considered a lie. You have to remember, she was kidnapped and tortured for four months. During that time, she may have started to, at least pretend, to enjoy it just to keep him happy."

Sango nodded. "It's not fair of you to ask her those kinds of questions," she said. "When and if she is ready to talk about it, then she will."

Koga sighed. "So, what do we do now?" he asked, folding his arms. "She's at least three months along. Any extraneous travelling is probably not a good idea."

"Koga's right," Miroku agreed. "But with Naraku out again, I'm not sure…" He glanced at Kagome. "If we come upon Naraku in battle with you pregnant, both you and the baby can get hurt."

"And it would be a distraction," Koga pointed out. "Not that I have a problem with protecting you. Even though you're pregnant with another man's kid, I still love you. It just… it would be a lot easier to protect you without a child in your stomach."

Kagome nodded in agreement. "I was thinking along the same lines," she told them. "Bankotsu wanted me to return to my own ti… village to have the baby. He told me to have the baby there and leave it with my mother. That way, the child will be safe."

Sango gave her friend a sideways glance. "You mean the two of you actually discussed the well-being of the child?" she inquired. "Did Bankotsu actually grow to care for you?"

The miko shrugged. "Does it matter?" she returned. "Bankotsu knew how important defeating Naraku is and he wanted me to be a part of that, but not at the expense of our child. He knew he was going to die. If Inuyasha or Koga didn't kill him first, then Naraku eventually would have. Bankotsu knew this. He also knew that we are doing everything in our power to stop Naraku."

"He knew he had made a mistake in trusting Naraku," Miroku surmised.

Kagome nodded. "It may not be the only mistake he ever made, but it was one that cost him his life," she said softly as she bowed her head in silent sorrow.

"Keh!" the hanyou growled. "I can't believe you're defending that creep after everything he put you through! You act like the two of you were old pals or lovers or something."

"Inuyasha," the miko said. The hanyou gasped and looked at her fearfully, but there was no malice in her face. She just looked sad. "I don't expect you to understand," she told him, "but the sooner you accept that this has happened, the sooner we can move onto our next strategy. I'm not asking for your forgiveness. The gods know Bankotsu would never want it. But things happened. Things that I cannot explain happened."

The hanyou sighed. "We'll go back to your village. You'll have the baby and we'll leave it with your mother," he surrendered. "How long do you think it'll take?"

She shook her head. "Until I see a gynecologist, I have no way of knowing even when I _became_ pregnant."

"What's a gyno… guyna…?" Miroku tried, stumbling over the word.

It was the first time in months the companions had seen Kagome crack a small smile. "A gynecologist is a female doctor," she explained. "Sort of like a mid-wife, but with the ability to help a woman heal faster. And they examine women to make sure the woman is healthy… I think you'd probably enjoy something like that, Miroku."

The monk's eyes widened before Sango knocked him upside his head.

* * *

**Author's Note****:** I really, really hate writing fight scenes. I hoped y'all liked it, though. Sorry it took so long. I was trying to integrate this chapter with the actual anime. (Four episodes in one chapter! Yeah!) I think I did a pretty good job there, personally, but I don't know. What do you think?


	18. Chapter 17

Inuyasha held out his hand and helped the girl out of the well. She hadn't stopped crying since they left their friends back at the village. Once she was safely through the well, she practically collapsed in his arms. The hanyou did not know what else to do besides hold her.

It had been decided that she would stay in her own time for the duration of the pregnancy. Though this promised to set them back, and give Naraku a chance for ultimate power, there was little else they could do. Defeating Naraku without Kagome was, not only improbable, but impractical.

He let her sob into his haori, knowing she had to be hurting. He was hurting, too. It hadn't occurred to him how deeply he had fallen for Kagome. Having her kidnapped had been worse than all the fights he had ever been in, but this sorrow she displayed… it cut him even more deeply.

He knew she wasn't just sad about leaving her friends for a few months. Hell, she had been taken from them for four months, what was a few more? No. She was upset over the death of that damn mercenary.

Inuyasha bit back a growl. He had no idea what that bastard had done to her. He wasn't even certain he wanted to know. Regardless, the asshole had taken Kagome's one gift. He had stolen it from her and replaced it with his seed. The biggest problem was Kagome didn't see it that way.

_Yes, he took my gift, Inuyasha, but he replaced it with an even better gift._ Those words echoed in his mind like a seashell against stone. How could she think this child was a gift? It was like she did not even care that her gift had been taken at all!

Miroku had told Inuyasha to not feel betrayed. It wasn't Kagome's fault what had happened and she's coping with it the best way she knew how.

Inuyasha had scoffed at the monk. He had already known it wasn't Kagome's fault and Inuyasha wasn't blaming her. He would never blame her for something like this! Kagome would never betray Inuyasha. That was one of the things he loved about her…

The hanyou took a deep breath and gently pulled her away as he felt her sobs subsiding. He tilted her chin up with a finger so he could look into her bright blue eyes. "Hey," he said softly. "You ready to go to the house?"

She wiped her eyes with the palms of her hands and nodded. "You'll…" she stammered, "you'll st-stay with m-me, right?"

He gave her a soft smile. "I already told ya. I'm gonna be here until that little runt's born. I ain't goin' anywhere," he promised her.

She gave him a watery smile and allowed him to lead her out of the well house. As they stepped outside, they almost ran right into Sota. Kagome and Sota froze as they stared at one another. While there was surprise in the boy's eyes, Kagome looked about ready to start crying again. Inuyasha prepared himself for the outburst.

"Kagome!" the boy hollered suddenly before throwing himself at his sister.

The priestess pulled her brother into a tight hug. There were tears of joy streaming down both of their faces. "Oh, Sota!" the miko cried. "Oh, I've missed you so much!"

The sound of Kagome's name managed to draw the attentions of both her mother and grandfather. Her grandfather peeked out from his temple before running as quickly as he could towards the girl. Her mother had been in the kitchen and dashed out the moment she heard Sota scream her daughter's name.

As the family was pulled together in a tearful reunion, Inuyasha took a step back. He knew this was meant to be a moment for the family and he didn't feel right joining in.

Kagome's mother glanced up and made eye contact with him. She broke away from the small group and approached the hanyou. Without warning, she hugged him. Inuyasha froze, unsure of what he was supposed to do.

"Thank you," she whispered to him. "Thank you for bringing her home safe."

The hanyou blushed as he gazed over at Kagome. His eyes begged her to help him. "Uh…" he hesitated as he gently patted the woman's back. "It was…"

Kagome glanced at the two and gave Inuyasha a sad smile. Deciding to rescue him, she placed a hand on her mother's shoulder. "There is something we should talk about, but," she said, "I'd rather do it in the house."

Her mother looked at her with troubled eyes, but willingly followed as her daughter led them inside. They gathered around the table, each person a bit apprehensive about what was coming. It was Grandfather who broke the silence. "So where have you been, Kagome? Are you finished over there?"

The miko shook her head. "Inuyasha and I are taking a reprieve for a little while," she told them. "We all are. These past few months have been hard on all of us."

"None more so than Kagome," Inuyasha commented as he folded his arms inside his haori.

That statement got everyone's attention. "What happened?" Mrs. Higurashi asked in a hushed voice.

Kagome closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I was…" she started, but hesitated.

She glanced at Inuyasha for support. He gave a single nod of encouragement and she tried again. "I was kidnapped."

Mrs. Higurashi gasped as Grandpa frowned. He looked at Inuyasha. "I'm guessing you killed the bastard?" he asked.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. As Kagome began to protest, he placed a calming hand on her arm. "Kagome."

She shook her head as a new set of tears began to fall. "H-he didn't des-deserve it. Bankotsu was-was a g-good man!" she sobbed before burying her face in Inuyasha's sleeve.

The hanyou closed his eyes and took a calming breath. _Count to ten_, he told himself.

_This isn't Kagome's fault. Anything she says cannot be taken seriously. She was tainted. Her only source of comfort had been Bankotsu for four months. What she says is not her fault._

"Kagome, if the idiot kidnapped you, then he must not have been much of a good man," her grandfather continued. "Good men don't kidnap young girls and keep them for four months."

Kagome shook her head in denial as she glanced up at her grandfather. "You don't know him!" she shouted. "You don't know who he was or how he was. He was…"

"He was a scallywag who kidnapped my granddaughter!" the old man interrupted, banging his fist on the table in anger. "I don't know what that man did to you to make you think otherwise, but I don't need to have known him personally to know his character. It was a dishonorable thing he did to you. Very dishonorable!"

The entire time the man yelled, Kagome continued to shake her head. Inuyasha could smell the increase of her anxiety and knew it was close to reaching a dangerous level. The hanyou stood up, quelling the man with a glare and a growl.

"You don't know what she's been through," he snarled, staring at the old man. "I met Bankotsu. I fought him. He was prideful and greedy, I'll give you that. On the battlefield, he fought dirty. But his anger was at me. The only reasons he came after me was because he and his men were hired to do so. I killed his men and he wanted revenge. Kagome was an innocent bystander who got hurt because of that. Now shut up and let her finish!"

Kagome tugged on Inuyasha haori and he sat back down. She buried her face in his haori again and he held her while she sobbed. He exchanged glares with the old man and dared him to say anything else.

Mrs. Higurashi placed a hand on her heart. She glanced at the old man. "Please be kind, Father," she said. "We may not care for this Ban-Bankotsu, but Kagome does. She's really hurting."

There were so many things Inuyasha wanted to say about that statement, but he knew now wasn't the time. Instead, he focused on helping Kagome bring her anxiety down by holding her and rubbing her back.

It was so hard for him. Inside, he felt his heart breaking, but he knew he had to stay strong for Kagome. This was about her, about healing her and helping her to get better. He needed to be there for her when she had the baby. He needed to help her get her mind set and focused back on Naraku. With any luck, he may even be able to help her forget about Bankotsu, though he doubted it.

The Kagome he held in his arms was a different person than the one he knew. Her scent would be forever tainted by that dead mercenary. And it wasn't just her scent. It was her life, her emotions. Everything about her was now permanently tainted.

It took her a while for her sobs and anxiety to finally subside enough that she could pull away from Inuyasha. Her mother handed her a glass of water, which she greedily drank. She closed her eyes to savor the taste for a moment.

When she spoke, her voice was cracked and hoarse. She said softly, "I don't expect any of you to understand. During my time with Bankotsu, I got to know him. He was a human being who became lost somewhere along the way. He allowed greed and anger to control his destiny and, in the end, it destroyed him. He was loyal and kind to those he considered his allies. He had a good sense of humour, too, though it was a bit morbid at times…"

She became silent again as she took another sip of her water. Everyone remained quiet as they waited for her to continue. She stared at her cup. "In the end," she told them, her voice still broken, "he let me go. It wasn't Inuyasha who rescued me. Bankotsu _had_ to let me go. He and his brethren were given a mission and they were on borrowed time. Like Inuyasha said, many of them had already been killed, though they did not die by Inuyasha's hand."

"No, but he blamed me for their deaths," the hanyou pointed out.

She nodded and had a peculiar look on her face. "I still don't know why he did," she said. "I suppose it was because he saw you as the leader of our group, therefore you were the one responsible. I don't know what Naraku told him about you, but it must have been…"

Inuyasha sniffed. "He knew about Kikyo and about me being pinned to that tree."

It seemed a light had dawned on her and she nodded. "That must have been it, then," she mumbled. "He must have seen a kindred spirit in you. Someone who wanted power, but was unable to attain it. And I suppose the way Naraku spoke of you led Bankotsu to think of you as the leader."

The hanyou shrugged. "Tell Sesshomaru and Koga that," he huffed.

This drew a laugh out of Kagome as she shook her head. "I think those two would be quite insulted," she said.

She turned her attention back to her family. "Anyway," she whispered, "he knew what was coming and he didn't want me to get hurt. So, he let me go. He wanted me to return here, but he knew how important my own mission was. So, he consigned to the idea that I would return to the Feudal Era, at least until my mission is complete. Either way, he wanted to keep me safe."

Inuyasha nodded, but said nothing. He remembered Bankotsu's last words and was slowly starting to realize what they had meant. _Take care of her._

"But why?" Mrs. Higurashi asked. "Do you think he fell in love with you?"

Kagome shrugged. "I think he… just…"

Inuyasha knew how hard this was for her. He pulled her into hug and held her. With a very heavy heart, the hanyou finished what she had been trying to say, "Kagome is going to have his child."

* * *

The fallout of Inuyasha's statement had been incredible. Kagome had continued to tell her mother of their plans. Luckily, Mrs. Higurashi agreed to keep the child while Kagome was in the Feudal Era. At first, her grandfather was wary about the child, but he couldn't blame an innocent child for the sins of its father.

Kagome tried going to a counselor, but it was no use. The several she tried all believed she was hallucinating and making up a world to cope with being raped. Nothing she said would convince them otherwise.

She finally gave up and spent most of her days catching up on schoolwork and lounging around the house with Inuyasha. To her surprise he had become extremely attentive to her every need. Though he claimed it was because he wanted to "get this over with," she knew he worried over her.

The little boy was born on a cold, rainy Wednesday morning. He was two months premature and Kagome feared he wouldn't make it.

By the grace of the gods, she was able to bring her son home after three months. Though she worried about him and did not wish to leave him, Kagome's mother reminded her of her duty.

"He'll be ok," her mother promised. "And you know you can always return to visit."

Kagome had nodded and, heart clenched tight, finally decided to return to the Feudal Era. It was time to end Naraku once and for all. And end him, they did. Kagome wished away the completed Shikon Jewel and returned to her own era.

As she rocked her baby to sleep, she glanced at the photograph on her nightstand. She smiled. "Look at what we made, Bankotsu. Isn't he beautiful?"

* * *

**Author's Note:** Don't hate me! I'm not finished yet. Still got one more chapter.

I know the last bit was pretty quick, but I figured you already knew how Naraku died and the jewel was destroyed. I really could not write that scene as I feel the manga and anime did a perfect job with it.


	19. Chapter 18

As Kagome put her son down for a nap, she thought she heard a noise outside. She glanced out the window, but didn't see anything. Giving her son a final gaze, clipped the baby monitor to her belt loop and she left her bedroom.

As she walked down the stairs, she heard her mom talking to someone. The woman sounded overjoyed and extremely excited. Curious, Kagome decided to investigate. She followed the sound of her mother's voice to the back door where she saw a white head peeking over the top of her mother's head and red clothing framing her mother's figure.

"Inuyasha?" the miko muttered.

Her mother stepped out of the way, her hands clasped together against her chest. She wore the largest smile Kagome had ever seen on her.

To the miko's surprise, the hanyou stood in the doorway. It had been a year since she had seen him. Her eyes widened as she approached the hanyou to give him a hug. As he wrapped her in his embrace, Kagome bit back her tears.

She looked up into his golden eyes. "How did you get through the well? I thought it had closed," she inquired.

He nodded. "It did," he replied, his own eyes a bit watery. "And I think it is again. I don't know exactly what happened. I've been so… I've missed you. I went to the well and just leaned against it, wishing you would come through. Suddenly, it glowed a bright blue and I knew that if I jumped in it, I would come here."

She gazed at the hanyou sadly. "But, if it's closed again, then that means you can't go back," she told him.

He brushed some of her hair out of her eyes. "I know," he whispered. "I just…" He sighed. "I know you love Bankotsu and there's… I don't want to pressure you and I'll never try to force you into something you don't want, but… if it's all right with you, I'd… I can't live without you in my life, Kagome. And I don't want to. Even if we never become… I would really like to stay with you. Maybe I could help you raise the baby? He needs a father figure. I know what it's like to grow up without a father and… No child should have to go through that."

As Inuyasha spoke, Kagome held a hand over her mouth. Tears fell from her eyes as he spoke of being a father to her son. Before she could say anything, though, he continued, "I'm not asking you to marry me. I know you aren't ready for that. I just want to be in your life. You're my best friend, Kagome. You're the only person who ever truly understood me and the first one to ever accept me for who I am. You don't know how much that means to me. I'll do whatever I have to here. I can learn how to live in this place. You could teach me."

Kagome wanted so badly to say, "Yes." What he offered was more than she could ever imagine. At the same time, she just did not see him being happy in her world. "This isn't like the Feudal Era," she told him. "You can't whip out Tetsusaiga every time someone says or does something offensive. Nor can you whip out Tetsusaiga when someone smells funny or there's trouble. Fighting, especially in public, is against the law here and so is killing. You could go to jail and even be sentenced to death. You'd have to wear different clothes, too, and we'd have to figure out what to do about your hair and ears. People might not care so much about your fangs or claws or eyes and they might not even care about your hair, but they'll notice the ears. And people here are much worse than people in the Feudal Era about such things.

"Also, if you are here, then you'd have to get an education and a job. It's a lot to do, Inuyasha, and I'm not sure…"

"I can do it," he told her. "I know how to read and write, so that's a start. I can also add and subtract, which I know is important."

"It is, but it's not enough," she explained. "You need to know multiplication, division, history, science… Things are a lot more complicated in this age. And what about your sword? Your clothes? You couldn't have either of them on the street."

He nodded and glanced down at their clasped hands. "I know it's a lot," he agreed. "I know there are things I'll need to learn and things I'll need to change, but I can do this. I _want_ to do this. This past year has been a living hell for me. Miroku and Sango are so happy together. They had twins, you know. And Shippo's almost never around. He's been learning fox stuff from the fox elders. Rin's staying in the village now, learning about herbs and medicine from Kaede. I see Kohaku sometimes, but he's usually with Sango, learning how to be a demon slayer."

It filled Kagome's heart to know her friends were doing so well, but she could see the loneliness in Inuyasha's eyes as he spoke. She glanced at her mother who wore a sad expression on her face. "We could help him," her mother said, causing the hanyou to gaze up at her. The woman continued, "We could take him shopping and help him get more appropriate clothing. I could get him some textbooks and workbooks to help him learn what he needs to know to get a GED and he could help your grandfather around the shrine in the meantime."

"But…"

Her mother shook her head. "Even if he wanted to return to the Feudal Era, Kagome, how will he? The well is closed," she told her daughter. "We can figure this out. We'll have to, right?"

Kagome nodded and turned her attention back to Inuyasha. She sighed and gave him a smile. "I would love for you to be here, Inuyasha. Like you said, my son needs a father figure and, honestly, I need my friend."

He smiled as he pulled her into an embrace. As the two friends hugged, Mrs. Higurashi clapped her hands together. "Alright, kids, I think it's time for some shopping!"

Kagome laughed as she broke away from Inuyasha. "I wish I could go with you," she told them both.

"Oh, well , that's easy. Just go get my grandson and we can all go," her mother commented.

Kagome pinched her lips in a slight frown. "I would, except I just put him down for his nap," she explained. "You know how he gets if you wake him up."

Inuyasha's ears twitched as the sound of crying flooded the baby monitor. His eyes widened as Kagome sighed. "Then again, maybe we won't have to worry about waking him…" the miko commented as she rushed upstairs to check on her son.

* * *

It took Inuyasha five years to get his GED. Within that time, Kagome finished school and the two of them got a three bedroom apartment. Inuyasha managed to finally get a job at a home improvement store while Kagome worked at a local coffee shop.

Of course, this was Inuyasha's eighth job in one year. (It was his twentieth job overall.) For the most part, he was a good employee. He just had a slight problem with authority and tended to be a bit insensitive with customers. This job made up for his faults by having him work mostly in the back. He spent most of his time unloading trucks and going through claims.

His latest job loved him and he was promoted to a team leader within three months. They even had hopes to make him a manager some day.

Kagome did pretty well, also. She was currently attending college while working at the coffee shop. She had been at the shop for almost two years before they promoted her to shift manager. In school, she was studying to be a doctor.

Home life wasn't so bad, either. Though Inuyasha shied away from being called "Dad," he really loved the little boy. Oftentimes, Kagome would complain about Inuyasha spoiling the child, but the hanyou didn't really care. He left the discipline to Kagome and settled on teaching the child how to read and write and count.

Even after six years (five years through the GED program, plus the one year before Inuyasha came to the modern era), Inuyasha and Kagome never really got together as a couple. They had their moments, but nothing ever came from it and Inuyasha did not push it.

Neither of them really dated. While they both worried about people learning of Inuyasha's ears, neither really had time to date. Kagome's son was the center of both of their worlds.

The boy really took after his father, in more ways than one. He had silky black hair and cobalt blue eyes. His eyebrows were thick and gave him an intense look. He was a happy child who loved to laugh. He got upset when he didn't get his way, though, and often asked for his father.

Kagome had given him a picture of Bankotsu and the boy had developed the habit of sleeping with it, frame and all. In his play, he would act like his father, taunting his opponents, both imaginary and real. He loved to wrestle, and oftentimes Inuyasha would accuse the child of playing dirty.

The boy would just laugh. "There's no fightin' dirty in battle, Uncle Inu," he would say.

* * *

"Inuyasha, please come to the front desk for customer assistance," the intercom announced.

The hanyou put down the box he had been holding and made his way to the front. As he made his way to the front, he saw the customer at the desk. Her tanned skin contrasted with her white V-neck blouse. She had long, silver coloured hair, even though she looked to be no older than 15 or 16 years. She was pretty with a petite frame and a pair of jeans that hugged her curves rather deliciously. She wore heeled sandals that gave her an extra two inches to her small height. Her lavender coloured eyes met him and she tilted her head in curiosity.

"I know you," she said.

Inuyasha hesitated as he caught a whiff of her perfume. It was a sweet smell, but it did not hide her original scent very well. He nodded as he approached the desk. "I remember," he told her. "You were just a runt the last time I saw you, though."

Her thin eyebrows furrowed in confusion as the service desk associate asked Inuyasha to help the girl carry the door she had just bought to her car. The hanyou nodded and turned his attention to the door. As always, he amazed the people at the desk by picking up the obviously heavy door with one hand.

"Where did you park your car?" he asked the girl.

"Inuyasha," she whispered. "You saved my mom and me, didn't you? When I was a child, you rescued me from these evil b… people who were wanting to use me."

At his nod, she gasped. A large, white smile was drawn across her face. She glanced at the people at the service desk. "This man is a genuine hero," she told them. "I owe him both my mother's life and my own."

Inuyasha blushed as he said, "I only did it because of Tetsusaiga. That hardly makes me a hero."

"Oh, Inuyasha," the girl at the service desk commented, "take a compliment sometimes. It wouldn't hurt you. You did a good thing for this lady and you should be proud of it."

The hanyou frowned and turned back to the customer. "Where's your car?" he asked again.

"This way," she said as she led him out of the store.

Once the door was safely in the car, the girl turned to the hanyou. Without warning, she gave him a hug. "Thank you, Inuyasha," she whispered. "For everything."

He gently patted her back before stepping away from her. She smiled at him. "What are you doing this evening?" she asked him.

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, Shiori," he told her. "I'm not really into dating right now. I've been helping my friend, you know the miko, Kagome, raise her son."

The girl gave him a compassionate smile. "That's very nice of you," she replied. "But I wasn't asking you out on a date. I was simply hoping you could come over and help me install this door."

He froze for a moment when his nose caught another familiar scent. Glancing around, he thought he saw someone out of the corner of his eye, but they had disappeared when he turned to look. Or maybe they had never been there? "I could do that," he answered as he looked around for the source of the scent.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

He nodded and slowly turned his attention back to her. "I thought I recognized someone," he told her.

She nodded and, taking a pen and piece of paper out of her purse, she wrote down her address and handed it to him. "If you'd like, you can see if Kagome wants to come over as well. I'd love to see her again and meet her son."

"I'll see if she wants to," he promised as he pulled out his wallet and stuck the piece of paper inside. "There are no guarantees that she'll come, but you never know."

* * *

As Kagome entered the apartment she threw her keys in the key tray and walked into the kitchen where Inuyasha was. "You'll never guess who I saw today," she said, her eyes lit up in excitement.

He put together his peanut butter and jelly sandwich and glanced up at her. "Who?" he asked.

"Koga!" she exclaimed. "He stopped by the coffee shop today to order some coffee to go when I, literally, bumped into him. He wants to take me to dinner tonight."

Inuyasha frowned. "Hm. Well, I got some news as well," he said. "Do you remember little Shiori? The little girl whose father was…"

"The bat demon?" she finished. "Yes, I remember her."

He nodded. "Well, she ain't so little anymore. She needed some help getting a door into her car. She asked me if I could stop by later today and help her install it. Asked me if you and the kid would like to come by as well."

She smiled as she gave the hanyou a hug. "Isn't this incredible? Koga told me there's this whole network of demons still living in Japan, many of them right here in Tokyo. He's really good friends with Shippo and has offered to see if Shippo would like to come tonight. I asked about your brother, too. Apparently, Sesshomaru is the CEO of this huge enterprise and he makes millions of yen every year!"

Inuyasha frowned. He should not have been surprised that his brother was a multi-billionaire; after all, the taiyoukai had always been wealthy. Still, it bothered the hanyou. Inuyasha worked hard every day to earn just enough money to support his small family. And yet, Sesshomaru made millions each year without even trying.

He took a bite of his sandwich as he thought over what Kagome had said. Inuyasha really did like peanut butter. It was smooth and creamy and stuck to the top of his mouth. As he swallowed the bite, he took another. Peanut butter was a good thinking food because, while he ate it, Inuyasha couldn't really talk.

"Are you takin' the runt with you?" he asked when he swallowed his food.

She shook her head. "I can't. Koga wants to take me out to this bar. I was thinking about you taking him, but I can call my mom and see if she'll keep him for a bit longer."

He opened the refrigerator and pulled out a soda. "I can take him," he offered. "Shiori wants to see him anyway. And he'll give me a good excuse to keep things calm between us."

Kagome tilted her head. "What do you mean?" she asked.

He took a pull from his drink before he answered. "When Shiori hugged me earlier, I could smell the desire coming off of her in waves. She may not wish to admit it, but I think she's expecting something to come of this evening," he commented. "She's pretty, but…"

The miko smirked. "I'll call my mom and see if she can keep him for the night."

* * *

Inuyasha and Shiori hit it off well. To his surprise, Shiori had been patient and understanding about Inuyasha and Kagome's relationship. The female hanyou had adored Kagome's son.

Kagome hadn't been so lucky with Koga, however. They had a small fling that resulted in an almost disastrous midnight sex. While they had both enjoyed it, they realized that the feelings just were not mutual. The relationship ended within a week.

Shiori was at the apartment practically every day. She helped Inuyasha find his brother and even helped the miko and hanyou to find the network Koga had spoken of.

Shippo had reentered their lives as well, introducing Kagome to his fox demon mate and his own son. Shippo adored Kagome's son just as much as Shiori did and always made it a point to bring the child a toy when he came by to visit.

Eventually, Inuyasha talked Kagome into getting an actual house and, soon after, Shiori moved in. As kind as the female hanyou was and as great as Inuyasha was, Kagome couldn't help but feel as though she and her son no longer belonged. She just didn't think it was fair to hold Inuyasha back, but when she told the hanyou she was planning on moving, he became angry with her.

"I told you I was going to take care of you," he had growled. "I can't do that if you leave. You and the little runt mean everything to me and I'm not gonna just let you leave like that, Kagome. If Shiori is a problem, then I can ask her to move out, but don't you dare think about leaving me."

Most nights, Kagome fell asleep crying while holding a picture of Bankotsu. She couldn't ask for Shiori to leave and she begged Inuyasha not to do it. She wanted her friend to be happy. He had deserved it.

Kagome held the worn picture in her hand while she gently outlined the man's face with her finger. She stared down at the handsome man. She remembered his laughter. She could almost hear his voice as he whispered soft promises in her ear. When she closed her eyes, she could almost feel the softness of his lips as they pressed against her neck.

A single tear trailed down her cheek as she lay down in bed. If it weren't for her son, she'd think she had conjured up the man in her mind. As it was, the only place he really existed now was in her dreams.

Every night she dreamed about the man with the long, black braid. And every morning she woke up to a tear-stained, but empty bed. Her son had truly become her only reason for living.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Am I evil for ending it this way? At least you got to see a bit of her son. Isn't he cute? And Inuyasha and Shiori! Yay!


	20. Epilogue

Kagome held her son's hand as she led him through the streets of ToonTown. It was his 7th birthday and they had decided to spend it in Disneyland. Inuyasha and Shiori had joined them along with Shippo, his mate, and two kits, and Koga.

So far, the day had been wonderful. They had visited several attractions and the little boy seemed to be having a blast. "Mommy, Mickey!" the little boy shouted as he pulled her towards Mickey's house. She laughed as she allowed him to lead her towards the fake home. Shippo's children joined them while the other adults decided to allow Kagome to handle the kids.

"Not fair!" she yelled through her chuckles as she disappeared into the house.

While waiting for the children and Kagome to emerge, Inuyasha suddenly straightened up and looked around. Koga and Shippo followed suit, looking around as though trying to spot whatever caught their noses.

Shiori placed a hand on Inuyasha's arm. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Instead of answering her, he glanced at Koga and Shippo. "You two smell it?" he questioned.

Koga frowned. "I do, but I don't see…"

"Look!" Shippo hissed as he pointed at a popcorn stand.

Waiting in line of the popcorn stand was a man wearing a blue polo and jeans. His black hair was tied close to his head. The two demons and the half demon watched the man, when he turned around, there was an audible sigh of relief from them.

Shippo's mate glanced at him curiously. "Who was that?" she asked. "Or, better yet, who did you think it was?"

The fox demon shook his head and turned his attention to Koga and Inuyasha. "It's not possible, is it? I mean, he's dead. We saw him turn to ash and bone," he inquired.

Koga shook his head but agreed with the kitsune. There was no way the man could be alive. It wouldn't make any sense. "Then again, he did come back to life once," the wolf pointed out.

"Yeah, but that was because of the jewel," Inuyasha argued.

Shiori tugged on her boyfriend's sleeve. "Who?!" she demanded.

The male hanyou gave a low growl as he whispered, "Bankotsu."

Her eyes widened as she glanced over at the man who had now disappeared in the crowd. "Wasn't he an evil man?" she asked.

Inuyasha nodded. "He was the leader of a mercenary group called the Band of Seven," he explained. He sighed as he added, "He's also the guy Kagome is still in love with."

"Oh!" Shiori replied. "I've heard her talk about him, but she never says anything bad."

Shippo's mate nodded in agreement. "She speaks so wonderfully of him," she said with a sigh. "You'd never know he did anything bad to her just from hearing her speak."

Shippo scrunched his nose. "The guy did something to her head," he sneered. "It's like he brainwashed her or something. She was a different person before him, happier, livelier."

"She was innocent," Koga said as he glanced at Mickey's house. He watched as the kids came out. Kagome looked haggard, but content as she held her laughing son.

They continued through the park, finally coming to a stop to catch the evening parade. As they watched the lighted floats pass them by, Inuyasha noticed Kagome seemed distracted. Slipping away from Shiori, he stepped up beside his friend and asked in her ear, "What's wrong?"

She gave a chuckle. "Nothing," she told him. "I thought I saw somebody I knew, but it wasn't… nothing."

He nodded, but glanced at Koga. The wolf nodded slightly as he moved to stand next to her. Neither the hanyou nor the youkai wanted the girl to have a breakdown in the middle of Disneyland.

As the parade ended, the small group made their way towards the castle to watch the fireworks display. They set themselves up near one of the buildings and Koga leaned against the building and folded his arms, staying close enough to Kagome just in case something happened.

As the miko gave her son a bottle of water, the boy suddenly broke away from her and ran into the crowd, screaming, "Daddy!"

The three males were quick to follow him, though it was Koga who caught up to him first. The wolf skidded to a halt and held his arms out to stop the hanyou and fox as he gazed at the boy in shock. Kagome pushed passed the three men as she approached her son.

"Don't you ever run away like that again!" she reprimanded as she grabbed the little boy's arm. "You scared Mommy!"

"It's alright, my little miko," said a voice the miko had only heard in her dreams. "He's safe now."

Her heart missed a few beats and she held her breath as she gazed up at the man her son had run to. He wore a light green t-shirt and blue jean shorts, but there was no mistaken the long braided black hair. She slowly stood up as she made eye contact with him. Cobalt blue was the colour of his eyes. "Bankotsu," she whispered with abated breath.

A smile spread across his face before he pulled her into an embrace and, in perfect timing with the fireworks, kissed her. His lips, his tongue, his face, his hair, his shoulders, his chest… all of these things were so familiar to her as she returned his kiss, her arms wrapping themselves around his neck. This had to be a dream, for there was no other explanation for it.

Koga growled. "Let go of her, you murderous bastard," he snarled.

Bankotsu, whose eyes had been closed, opened his eyes and glared at the youkai. Very gently, he broke the kiss, but kept his hands on her waist. "What do you intend to do, wolf? You're gonna start a fight in front of all these people, these children?"

"How are you here?" Shippo asked with a frown. "You're supposed to be dead."

"You should go back to your grave, corpse," the hanyou growled.

The mercenary rolled his eyes. "I'm not a corpse anymore, half breed," he replied. "I've been given one last chance to make things right."

He glanced down at the miko in his arms and then to the little boy who was hugging his leg. He gave another smile as he pried the boy off of his leg and bent down to look at him. His smile widened. "You look so much like your mother," he told the boy. "How old are you now?"

"Seven," the little boy answered as he held up seven fingers to show his father. "Today's my birthday."

Bankotsu's eyes widened ever so slightly. "It is? Well, I guess that means we'll have to get you a birthday present before the end of the evening," he responded.

"Can I get a sword?" he asked. At Bankotsu's nod the little boy's eyes widened as he gave an open-mouthed smile. He then hugged the man around the neck. "Thank you, Daddy!"

Bankotsu moved to stand up, but the boy's grip was tight, so the man lifted the boy up into the air with him. Holding his son with one arm, he glanced at the miko. Seeing her confused expression, he asked, "What is it?"

"Are you really alive?" she asked. At his nod, she inquired, "How?"

"Apparently gods do exist," he told her. "This god named Hachiman took pity on me or something. There was talk about me returning so I could be with my wife and kid and protect you. Not sure what all of it's about, but I'm here none the less."

"Is this real?" she questioned. "I mean, is it permanent or are you going away again?"

He touched her cheek and wiped a tear from her eye. "From what I know, I think it's permanent. I think it's my last chance to make things right… If you'll let me."

It was a request, not a demand. She thought over what he had said. The gods were giving him one last chance to be the man he was meant to be. She still believed this was all a dream, though she prayed it wasn't. As she gazed into those deep cobalt eyes, she found herself nodding in acceptance. If it was a dream, she prayed to never awaken.

He smiled again as he kissed her. The kiss lasted for mere seconds, though as the little boy tugged on his father's braid. "Careful, Daddy, Mommy's a girl," he warned in all seriousness. "She could give you cooties."

Bankotsu threw his head back in laughter before turning his attention to the boy. "I forgot to ask. What did your mother decide to name you?"

The little boy puffed out his chest as he proudly declared, "I'm Banryu!"

* * *

**Author's Note:** Sorry. I just couldn't leave it at such a sad ending. I really hope all of you have enjoyed reading this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Not all tales end as happily as this one has, but I have always enjoyed happy endings.


End file.
